Can Non-Cognitive Skills Programs Improve Achievement? Quasi-Experimental Evidence from EPIS

Pedro Martins

No 105, GLO Discussion Paper Series from Global Labor Organization (GLO)

Abstract: Do investments in soft skills pay off in terms of student achievement? This paper evaluates a large private-sector program in this area, EPIS, based on individual and small-group sessions of mediators that seek to improve the non-cognitive skills (e.g. motivation, self-esteem, conscientiousness) of selected students. Our quasi-experimental evidence is drawn from rich longitudinal student data and the different timings of the roll-out of the program, within and across schools. The results highlight the potential of targeted, small-group, non-cognitive interventions, as we find that the EPIS program reduced grade retention by at least 10 percentage points and did so in a cost-effective manner.

Keywords: Student achievement; Non-cognitive skills; Matched School-Student Data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I20 J08 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-neu and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:glodps:105

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