IES Predoctoral Program Seminar: Dr. Sarah Komisarow

The University of Pennsylvania Predoctoral Training Program in Interdisciplinary Research Methods for Field-based Research in Education, sponsored by the Institute for Education Sciences (IES), welcomes Dr. Sarah Komisarow to our weekly seminar series.

The Doctor Will See You Now: School-Based Telemedicine, Student Absences, and Engagement
Presented by Dr. Sarah Komisarow, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics, Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy
In this paper we study the effects of school-based telemedicine centers (SBTCs) on student absenteeism in elementary and middle school.  SBTCs deliver healthcare to students at clinics located within schools during the school day through the use of videoconferencing and data-transmitting medical equipment in concert with the expertise of existing school staff (e.g., school nurses).  We exploit the staggered introduction of SBTCs at the school level across three school districts to examine the effects of access to healthcare in a school-based setting on student outcomes.  Access to SBTCs reduces the likelihood that a student is chronically absent by about 2 percentage points (28 percent).  Exposure to an SBTC also increases the likelihood that students take end-of-grade math and reading tests, suggesting that the reduction in absenteeism may pull students back into the assessment pool.  Finally, we find some evidence to suggest that SBTCs reduce violent disciplinary infractions among students, but we do not detect any effects on other types of disciplinary infractions. 

More information
The IES Predoctoral Program’s weekly seminar series connects program fellows and affiliates to scholars and practitioners who engage in educational research and the development of research methods.

Seminars are likely of interest to doctoral students and faculty. If you are interested in attending, please email Melanie Bahti.