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‘When Can School Inputs Improve Test Scores?’

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Author Info
Das, J.
Dercon, S.
Habyarimana, J.
Krishnan, P.

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Abstract

Most studies fail to find an impact of school inputs on outcomes such as test scores. We argue that this might be a consequence of ignoring the possibility that households respond optimally to changes in school inputs and thus obscure the real effect of such provision. To incorporate the forward-looking behaviour of households, we present a household optimisation model relating household resources and cognitive achievement to school inputs. In this framework if household and school inputs are technical substitutes in the production function, the impact of unanticipated inputs is larger than that of anticipated inputs. We test the predictions of the model for non-salary cash grants to schools using a unique data set from Zambia. Consistent with the optimisation model, anticipated funds lead to significant improvements in learning. We are thus able both to order the effects of different kinds of spending and capture their impact on cognitive achievement.

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Paper provided by Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge in its series Cambridge Working Papers in Economics with number 0437.

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Length: 60
Date of creation: Jul 2004
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Handle: RePEc:cam:camdae:0437

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Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Joshua D. Angrist & Victor Lavy, 1997. "Using Maimonides' Rule to Estimate the Effect of Class Size on Student Achievement," NBER Working Papers 5888, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Becker, Gary S & Tomes, Nigel, 1986. "Human Capital and the Rise and Fall of Families," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 4(3), pages S1-39, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Das, Jishnu, 2004. "Equity in educational expenditures : can government subsidies help?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3249, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
  2. Michael A. Clemens, 2004. "The Long Walk to School: International education goals in historical perspective," Development and Comp Systems 0403007, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
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  3. Stefan Dercon (QEH), . "Risk, Growth and Poverty: what do we know, what do we need to know?," QEH Working Papers qehwps148, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford. [Downloadable!]
  4. Das, Jishnu & Dercon, Stefan & Habyarimana, James & Krishnan, Pramila, 2005. "Teacher shocks and student learning : evidence from Zambia," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3602, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
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  5. Chris Elbers & Jan Willem Gunning & Kobus de Hoop, 2007. "Assessing Budget Support with Statistical Impact Evaluation: a Methodological Proposal," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 07-075/2, Tinbergen Institute, revised 31 Dec 2007. [Downloadable!]
  6. Das, Jishnu & Hammer, Jeffrey, 2004. "Which doctor? Combining vignettes and item response to measure doctor quality," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3301, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
  7. Nathalie Francken, 2009. "Reducing Corruption in Public Education Programs in Africa:Instruments and Capture in Madagascar," LICOS Discussion Papers 24009, LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, K.U.Leuven. [Downloadable!]
  8. Sharon Bernhardt, 2006. "Participation in a School Incentive Programme in Karnataka," Working Papers id:319, esocialsciences.com. [Downloadable!]
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