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Reducing Parent-School Information Gaps and Improving Education Outcomes: Evidence from High-Frequency Text Messages

Author

Listed:
  • Berlinski, Samuel
  • Busso, Matías
  • Dinkelman, Taryn
  • Martínez, Claudia

Abstract

We conducted an experiment in low-income schools in Chile to test the effects and behavioral changes triggered by a program that sends attendance, grade, and classroom behavior information to parents via weekly and monthly text messages. Our 18-month intervention raised average math GPA by 0.08 of a standard deviation and increased the share of students satisfying attendance requirements for grade promotion by 4.5 percentage points. Treatment effects were larger for students at higher risk of later grade retention and dropout. Leveraging existing school inputs for a light-touch, costeffective, and scalable information intervention can improve education outcomes in lower-income settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Berlinski, Samuel & Busso, Matías & Dinkelman, Taryn & Martínez, Claudia, 2021. "Reducing Parent-School Information Gaps and Improving Education Outcomes: Evidence from High-Frequency Text Messages," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 11234, Inter-American Development Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:idb:brikps:11234
    DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0003257
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    Cited by:

    1. Eric Bettinger & Nina Cunha & Guilherme Lichand & Ricardo Madeira, 2020. "Are the effects of informational interventions driven by salience?," ECON - Working Papers 350, Department of Economics - University of Zurich, revised May 2021.
    2. Damgaard, Mette Trier & Nielsen, Helena Skyt, 2018. "Nudging in education," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 313-342.
    3. Amaral, Sofia & Dinarte-Diaz, Lelys & Dominguez, Patricio & Perez-Vincent, Santiago M., 2024. "Helping families help themselves: The (Un)intended impacts of a digital parenting program," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    4. Damien de Walque & Christine Valente, 2023. "Incentivizing School Attendance in the Presence of Parent-Child Information Frictions," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 15(3), pages 256-285, August.
    5. Noam Angrist & Peter Bergman & Moitshepi Matsheng, 2022. "Experimental evidence on learning using low-tech when school is out," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 6(7), pages 941-950, July.
    6. Esposito Acosta,Bruno Nicola & Sautmann,Anja, 2022. "Adaptive Experiments for Policy Choice : Phone Calls for Home Reading in Kenya," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10098, The World Bank.
    7. Maldonado, Joana Elisa & De Witte, Kristof, 2021. "The impact of information provision to parents: Experimental evidence on student outcomes," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    8. Tomoki Fujii & Christine Ho & Rohan Ray & Abu S. Shonchoy, 2025. "Boosting Study Habits with High-Frequency Information: A Field Experiment to Aid Disadvantaged Students," Working Papers 2501, Florida International University, Department of Economics.
    9. Kjetil Bjorvatn & Selim Gulesci & Arne Nasgowitz & Vincent Somville & Lore Vandewalle, 2025. "Promoting parental engagement in education: Experimental evidence from Uganda," Trinity Economics Papers tep1925, Trinity College Dublin, Department of Economics.
    10. Noam Angrist & Peter Bergman & Moitshepi Matsheng, 2020. "School’s Out: Experimental Evidence on Limiting Learning Loss Using “Low-Tech” in a Pandemic," NBER Working Papers 28205, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Simon Calmar Andersen & Ulrik Hvidman, 2020. "Implementing Educational Interventions at Scale," Working Papers 2020-039, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    12. Monteiro Amaral,Sofia Fernando & Dinarte Diaz,Lelys Ileana & Dominguez,Patricio & Perez-Vincent,Santiago M., 2021. "Helping Families Help Themselves ? Heterogeneous Effects of a Digital Parenting Program," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9850, The World Bank.
    13. Angrist, Noam & Bergman, Peter & Matsheng, Moitshepi, 2020. "School's Out: Experimental Evidence on Limiting Learning Loss Using," IZA Discussion Papers 14009, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Crawfurd, Lee & Evans, David K. & Hares, Susannah & Sandefur, Justin, 2023. "Live tutoring calls did not improve learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sierra Leone," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    15. Mateo-Berganza Díaz, María Mercedes & Becerra, Laura & Hernández Agramonte, Juan Manuel & Lopez Boo, Florencia & Pérez Alfaro, Marcelo & Vasquez Echeverria, Alejandro, 2020. "Nudging Parents to Increase Preschool Attendance in Uruguay," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 10893, Inter-American Development Bank.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • N36 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Latin America; Caribbean
    • D8 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty

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