Do slum upgrading programs impact school attendance?

Wladimir Zanoni, Paloma Acevedo and Diego Guerrero ()

Economics of Education Review, 2023, vol. 96, issue C

Abstract: This study investigates the impact of slum upgrading programs on elementary school attendance, a strong predictor of dropout and adult outcomes. Slum upgrading programs are interventions in impoverished areas that involve building housing, roads, sewerage systems, and installing public lighting. Using administrative data on Uruguayan students, we examine the effects of slum upgrading programs on school attendance. The study employs a regression discontinuity design based on the eligibility rule that considers a slum eligible for the program when it has 40 or more dwelling units. The results show that students exposed to slum upgrading programs had 28 fewer absences (16 percent of the school year or 70 percent of the total missed days that qualify a student as having insufficient attendance), and lower probability of being recurrent absentees. This study provides insights into the impact of slum upgrading programs on human capital accumulation among low-income children.

Keywords: Slum upgrading; School absences; Regression discontinuity; Uruguay; School attendance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H40 I25 I38 O18 R58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Working Paper: Do Slum Upgrading Programs Impact School Attendance? (2021)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:96:y:2023:i:c:s027277572300105x

DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2023.102458

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