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Better Together? Social Networks in Truancy and the Targeting of Treatment

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Listed:
  • Bennett, Magdalena

    (Columbia University)

  • Bergman, Peter

    (University of Texas at Austin)

Abstract

Truancy correlates with many risky behaviors and adverse outcomes. We use detailed administrative data on by-class absences to construct social networks based on students who miss class together. We simulate these networks and use permutation tests to show that certain students systematically coordinate their absences. Leveraging a parent-information intervention on student absences, we find spillover effects from treated students onto peers in their network. We show that an optimal-targeting algorithm that incorporates machine-learning techniques to identify heterogeneous effects, as well as the direct effects and spillover effects, could further improve the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the intervention subject to a budget constraint.

Suggested Citation

  • Bennett, Magdalena & Bergman, Peter, 2018. "Better Together? Social Networks in Truancy and the Targeting of Treatment," IZA Discussion Papers 11267, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp11267
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    Cited by:

    1. Dinkelman, Taryn & Berlinski, Samuel & Busso, Matias & Martinez A., Claudia, 2021. "Reducing Parent-School Information Gaps and Improving Education Outcomes: Evidence from High-Frequency Text Messages," CEPR Discussion Papers 15949, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. William C. Horrace & Hyunseok Jung & Jonathan L. Pressler & Amy Ellen Schwartz, 2021. "What Makes a Classmate a Peer? Examining Which Peers Matter in NYC Elementary Schools," Center for Policy Research Working Papers 241, Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University.
    3. Verstappen, Ksenia, 2018. "Economics of big data: review of best papers for January 2018," MPRA Paper 85520, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Matthew A. Lenard & Mikko Silliman, 2024. "Informal Social Interactions, Academic Achievement and Behaviour: Evidence from Peers on the School Bus," CESifo Working Paper Series 11115, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    peer effects; social networks; education;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • D85 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Network Formation

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