A new study shows that public school performance ratings encourage reforms that benefit students and parents.
If you want to shut down the “school-to-prison pipeline,” holding failing schools accountable may be the best place to start. Many education debates focus on relaxing discipline as a way to keep kids out of the justice system. But a new study finds that receiving a failing accountability rating—and the reform pressure that then results—can work to reduce the share of students who get arrested or incarcerated as young adults.
“School Accountability, Long-Run Criminal Activity, and Self-Sufficiency,” published in the Journal of Human Resources in November 2025, followed more than 54,000 South Carolina students who entered ninth grade between 2000 and 2005, tracking them into their thirties to examine arrest and incarceration outcomes. Since 2000, South Carolina has rated public schools from “unsatisfactory” to “excellent” based on graduation rates, merit scholarship eligibility, and test scores.