The deci­sion to per­ma­nent­ly close a school is one of the most con­tro­ver­sial deci­sions in pub­lic edu­ca­tion. With school clo­sures becom­ing more com­mon under poli­cies of high-stakes account­abil­i­ty and school choice, it is impor­tant to under­stand how pol­i­cy­mak­ers imple­ment clo­sure poli­cies and how stu­dents are affect­ed. This pre­sen­ta­tion will include two research per­spec­tives on poli­cies relat­ed to this con­tro­ver­sial issue: First, Matt Larsen will present results of a study using data from Mil­wau­kee to mea­sure the effects of high school clo­sure on stu­dents. This analy­sis includes exam­i­na­tion of stu­dent tran­si­tions after a school is shut down, short term effects of clo­sures on aca­d­e­m­ic out­comes, and long term effects on grad­u­a­tion and col­lege access. Next, Whit­ney Ruble will present research on pol­i­cy inter­ven­tions for low-per­form­ing schools in New Orleans, includ­ing school clo­sure and takeover. This pre­lim­i­nary look at local poli­cies will focus on the rules for clo­sure and takeover in New Orleans, how pol­i­cy­mak­ers decide which schools to tar­get, and the impli­ca­tions for stu­dent outcomes.