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Heterogeneity and Endogenous Compliance: Implications for Scaling Class Size Interventions

Author

Listed:
  • Karun Adusumilli

    (University of Pennsylvania)

  • Francesco Agostinelli

    (University of Pennsylvania)

  • Emilio Borghesan

    (Princeton University)

Abstract

This paper examines the scalability of the results from the Tennessee Student- Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) Project, a prominent educational experiment. We explore how the misalignment between the experimental design and the econometric model affects researchers’ ability to learn about the intervention’s scalability. We document heterogeneity in compliance with class-size reduction that is more extensive than previously acknowledged and discuss its consequences for the evaluation of the experiment. Guided by this finding, we implement a new econometric framework incorporating heterogeneous treatment effects and endogenous class size determination. We find that the effect of class size on test scores differs considerably across schools, with only a small fraction of schools having significant benefits from reduced class sizes. We discuss the challenges this poses for the intervention’s scalability and conclude by analyzing targeted class-size interventions.

Suggested Citation

  • Karun Adusumilli & Francesco Agostinelli & Emilio Borghesan, 2024. "Heterogeneity and Endogenous Compliance: Implications for Scaling Class Size Interventions," Working Papers 2024-007, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    • Handle: RePEc:hka:wpaper:2024-007
    Note: ECI
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sáenz Guillén Leyre, 2024. "¿Menos es Siempre Más?: Efectos del tamaño del aula en el rendimiento educativo en el contexto de la Transición Demográfica en Argentina," Asociación Argentina de Economía Política: Working Papers 4761, Asociación Argentina de Economía Política.
    2. Cl'ement de Chaisemartin & Antoine Deeb, 2024. "Estimating treatment-effect heterogeneity across sites, in multi-site randomized experiments with few units per site," Papers 2405.17254, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2024.
    3. Dou, Jialu & Gihleb, Rania & Giuntella, Osea & Lonsky, Jakub, 2025. "Breaking the Early Bell: Lessons from the First Statewide Mandate on School Start Times," IZA Discussion Papers 17930, IZA Network @ LISER.

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    JEL classification:

    • C51 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Construction and Estimation
    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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