Published in:
American Educational Research Journal - Social and Institutional Analysis
September 15, 2016
Amy Ellen Schwartz, Syracuse University
Leanna Stiefel, New York University
Michah W. Rothbart, Syracuse University
Abstract
Recent research finds that grade span affects academic achievement, but only speculates about
the mechanisms. In this study, we examine one commonly cited mechanism, the top dog/bottom
dog phenomenon, which states that students at the top of a grade span (“top dogs”) have better
experiences than those at the bottom (“bottom dogs”). Using an instrumental variables strategy
introduced in Rockoff & Lockwood (2010) and a longitudinal data set containing student survey
data for New York City public middle school students, we estimate the impact of top dog and
bottom dog status on bullying, safety, belonging, and academic achievement. This paper
provides the first credibly causal evidence that top dog status improves the learning environment
and academic achievement. We further find that the top dog effect is strongest in 6th grade and in
schools with longer grade spans and that the top dog effect is not explained by new students to a
school or student height.