Email:听MKalulu@uca.edu
Dr. Mavuto Kalulu is an Assistant Professor of Economics at BT天堂and an affiliated ACRE scholar. He was a full-time policy analyst with ACRE from 2014 to 2022 before joining the BT天堂faculty. He is also an affiliated member of the graduate faculty in the Interdisciplinary PhD in Leadership Studies program at the University of Central Arkansas. He received his PhD in economics from the University of Mississippi in 2014, concentrating in public choice and industrial organization. His research interests include governmental transparency, good governance, and K鈥�12 education. He also holds an MBA from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. His work has been published in the听Journal of Development and Communications, the听eJournal of Education Policy,听Southern Business Journal,听Midwestern Business and Economic Review, the听Southwest Business and Economic Journal, and听Citizenship, Democracies, and Media Engagement among Emerging Economies and Marginalized Communities听(Palgrave Macmillan). His writing has been featured in the听Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the听Jonesboro Sun, and the听Log Cabin Democrat.
Transparency
Transparency Index:
Access Arkansas: County-Level Web Transparency听by Dr. Mavuto Kalulu and Terra Aquia
This inaugural听index produced by ACRE Policy Analyst Mavuto Kalulu and Program Coordinator Terra听Aquia ranks all Arkansas counties by how much financial, political and administrative information their websites contain.
Arkansas counties earned an F grade in the听听. Kalulu and听Aquia hope the index will motivate Arkansas counties to improve access to this important information for their constituents.
Radio:
- On September 26, 2018,听ACRE Policy Analyst Mavuto Kalulu and Program Coordinator Terra Aquia were on Conduit News Radio discussing their recently released听Transparency Index.
翱辫-别诲鈥檚/颁辞尘尘别苍迟补谤测:
- 听鈥� An op-ed by ACRE Policy Analyst Mavuto Kalulu was published听in the听Arkansas Democrat-Gazette听on January 28th. In the op-ed, Kalulu discusses the benefits of transparency to county governments 鈥� particularly how beneficial the improved management of tax dollars can be. He points out that a great way to get this benefit is to publish county budgets online.
- 听鈥撎鼳n op-ed by ACRE Policy Analyst Mavuto Kalulu听was published in the听Arkansas Democrat-Gazette听on November 19th. In the op-ed, Kalulu explains the results of a recently- released听Transparency Index听by ACRE and the reasons why county officials should care about improving their fiscal transparency.
- 鈥撎齩p-ed published September 29,听2018 by ACRE Policy Analyst Mavuto Kalulu and Program Coordinator Terra Aquia in the听Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
- 听鈥� op-ed published July 8,听2018 by ACRE Policy Analyst Mavuto Kalulu and Program Coordinator Terra Aquia in the听Log-Cabin Democrat.
- 听op-ed published November 16,听2017 by ACRE Policy Analyst Dr. Mavuto Kalulu and ACRE Research Assistant Terra Aquia in the听Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
- 听op-ed published September 15,听2017 by ACRE policy analyst Dr. Mavuto Kalulu and ACRE Research Assistant Terra Aquia in the听Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
- 听op-ed published June 23,听2017 by ACRE policy analyst Dr. Mavuto Kalulu and UCA听assistant professor of accounting Ashley Phillips in the听Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Education
ACRE Research Papers:
Charter Schools鈥� Impact on Traditional Public School Performance: Evidence from Arkansas听by Dr. Mavuto Kalulu, Dr. Thomas Snyder, and Saliou N. Ouattara
This study estimates the effects of open-enrollment charter schools on student performance in traditional public schools in Arkansas. The paper examines the change in Iowa Assessment scores for first and second graders across Arkansas school districts between the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years. The ordinary least-squares regression estimates demonstrate a positive and statistically significant relationship between elementary charter school enrollment and traditional public school Iowa Assessment scores across districts, controlling for relevant factors. Improvements in traditional public schools鈥� math, reading, and language test scores were greater in school districts that had a larger percentage of students enrolling in charter schools. The most influential impact of charter schools on predicted test scores was in math, where a 1% increase in elementary charter school enrollment led to a 0.13 predicted improvement in normal-curve-equivalent test scores across Arkansas school districts.
Policy Reviews:
Arkansas Charter Schools: Myths and Facts听by听Dr.听Mavuto Kalulu
This policy review addresses some common myths and misconceptions that many Arkansans have about charter schools in Arkansas. This review听debunks听five of the major myths used by opponents of expanding access to open enrollment charter schools:听Open enrollment charter schools don鈥檛 enroll many black or Hispanic students,听Education outcomes at open enrollment charter schools are worse than those at traditional public schools,听Open enrollment charter schools hire underqualified teachers,听Open enrollment charter schools receive more public funding than traditional public schools, and that traditional public schools will be forced to shut down because they can鈥檛 compete with open enrollment charter schools.
Op-eds/Commentary:
- 听op-ed published January 27, 2017 by ACRE policy analyst Dr. Mavuto Kalulu.听Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
- 听op-ed published September 23rd, 2016 by ACRE policy analyst Dr. Mavuto Kalulu.听Arkansas Democrat Gazette听and Arkansas Online.
- 听op-ed published July 30th, 2016 by ACRE policy analyst Dr. Mavuto Kalulu.听Arkansas Democrat Gazette听and Arkansas Online.
- Celebrate School Choice听op-ed published听February 13, 2016 by ACRE policy analyst Dr. Mavuto Kalulu.听The Jonesburo Sun.
- 听op-ed听published December 3, 2015 by ACRE policy analyst Dr. Mavuto Kalulu.听Arkansas Democrat Gazette听and Arkansas Online.
- 听op-ed听published September 28, 2015 by ACRE policy analyst Dr. Mavuto Kalulu.听Arkansas Democrat Gazette听and Arkansas Online.
- 听op-ed听published July 31, 2015 by ACRE policy analyst Dr. Mavuto Kalulu.听Arkansas Democrat Gazette听and Arkansas Online.
Blog Posts:
Myth 5: Traditional Public Schools will be Forced to shut down Because they can鈥檛 Compete with Open Enrollment Charter Schools听听by Dr. Mavuto Kalulu 鈥撎齪osted on the听ACRE Review听on February 10, 2017.
Myth 4: Open Enrollment Charter Schools Receive more Public Funding than Traditional Public Schools听by Dr. Mavuto Kalulu听鈥撎齪osted on the听ACRE Review听on February 2, 2017.
Myth 3: Open Enrollment Charter Schools Hire Underqualified Teachers听by Dr. Mavuto Kalulu 鈥撎齪osted on the听ACRE Review听on January 20, 2017.
Myth 2: Education Outcomes at Open Enrollment Charter Schools are Worse than Those at Traditional Public Schools听by Dr. Mavuto Kalulu听鈥撎齪osted on the听ACRE Review听on January 13, 2017.
Myth 1: Open Enrollment Charter Schools Don鈥檛 Enroll Many Black or Hispanic Students听by Dr. Mavuto Kalulu听鈥撎齪osted on the听ACRE Review听on December 16, 2016.
Dispelling Myths About Open Enrollment Charter Schools in Arkansas听by Dr. Mavuto Kalulu听鈥撎齪osted on the听ACRE Review听on December 8, 2016.
Charter School Myths and Facts听by Dr. Mavuto Kalulu听听鈥撎齪osted on the听ACRE Review听on March 29, 2016.
School Choice Gives Your Child $200,000听by Dr. Mavuto Kalulu 鈥� posted on the听ACRE Review听on July 10, 2015.