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Neighborhoods and Academic Achievement: Results From the Moving to Opportunity Experiment

Author

Listed:
  • Lisa Sonbonmatsu

    (NBER)

  • Kling R. Kling

    (Princeton University and NBER)

  • Greg J. Duncan

    (Northwestern University)

  • Jeanne Brooks-Gunn

    (Columbia University)

Abstract

Families originally living in public housing were assigned housing vouchers by lottery, encouraging moves to neighborhoods with lower poverty rates. Although we had hypothesized that reading and math test scores would be higher among children in families offered vouchers (with larger effects among younger children), the results show no significant effects on test scores for any age group among over 5000 children ages 6 to 20 in 2002 who were assessed four to seven years after randomization. Program impacts on school environments were considerably smaller than impacts on neighborhoods, suggesting that achievement-related benefits from improved neighborhood environments are small.

Suggested Citation

  • Lisa Sonbonmatsu & Kling R. Kling & Greg J. Duncan & Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, 2004. "Neighborhoods and Academic Achievement: Results From the Moving to Opportunity Experiment," Working Papers 7, Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Education Research Section..
    • Handle: RePEc:pri:edures:7
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    neighborhood effects; social experiment; education;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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