Tyler Powell - Research

Publications

Rogers, Salem, Tyler Powell, Katharine O. Strunk, and Bryant G. Hopkins (2026). Viral Change: Trends in Michigan Teacher Attrition and Mobility before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Education Finance and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1162/edfp.a.18

Working Papers

Taking the Long Way Home: The Effects of Bus Commutes on Student Achievement (Job Market Paper)

Abstract: I estimate the causal impact of commuting time on students' academic effort and performance. Using novel administrative transportation data from North Carolina and idiosyncratic variation in bus route assignments, I show that longer bus commutes worsen student outcomes. A one standard deviation (21.5-minute) increase in morning commuting time leads to a 2.6 percent increase in the likelihood of being suspended, a 0.01 s.d. decrease in math and reading test scores, and a 0.02 s.d. decrease in ACT score. Time use patterns suggest students and adults respond similarly when faced with long commutes---sacrificing sleep and potentially diminishing their productivity.

Effects of Race-Neutral Affirmative Action: A National Study of Exam School Admissions (with Rene Crespin)

Works in Progress

The Effects of Early Middle College on Educational Attainment

Abstract: Early Middle Colleges (EMCs) are a class of high school dual enrollment programs in Michigan that allow students to spend a fifth year in high school, earning an associate degree or a significant number of college credits alongside their high school diplomas. Using student-level administrative data on K-12 and post-secondary course taking, I analyze the impacts of these programs on educational attainment. I instrument for EMC enrollment with 9th-grade cohort-level EMC eligibility at each Michigan high school based on the timing of program implementation. EMC eligibility increases the likelihood that students enroll in any postsecondary education. This is driven by an increase in 2-year enrollment with little to no substitution away from 4-year enrollment, suggesting that EMCs attract students who would have otherwise not attended any college.

Home District Preference and Implications for Equity: Evidence from Teachers in Michigan (with Salem Rogers)