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Do Funds for More Teachers Improve Student Outcomes?

Author

Listed:
  • Nicolai T. Borgen
  • Lars J. Kirkebøen
  • Andreas Kotsadam
  • Oddbjørn Raaum

Abstract

We investigate the effects of a large-scale Norwegian reform that provided extra teachers to 166 lower secondary schools with relatively high student-teacher ratios and low average grades. We exploit these two margins using a regression discontinuity setup and find that the reform reduced the student-teacher ratio by around 10% (from a base level of 22 students per teacher), with no crowding out of other school resources or parental support. However, the reform did not improve test scores and longer-term academic outcomes, and we can reject even small positive effects. We do find that the reform improved the school environment from the students’ perspective, but with the largest impact on aspects most weakly associated with better academic outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicolai T. Borgen & Lars J. Kirkebøen & Andreas Kotsadam & Oddbjørn Raaum, 2022. "Do Funds for More Teachers Improve Student Outcomes?," CESifo Working Paper Series 9756, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_9756
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    1. Simon Calmar Andersen & Louise Beuchert & Phillip Heiler & Helena Skyt Nielsen, 2023. "A Guide to Impact Evaluation under Sample Selection and Missing Data: Teacher's Aides and Adolescent Mental Health," Papers 2308.04963, arXiv.org.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    student-teacher-ratio; class size; test scores; non-cognitive skills; RDD;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General

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