Econometric methods for causal evaluation of education policies and practices: a non-technical guide

Martin Schlotter, Guido Schwerdt and Ludger Woessmann

Education Economics, 2011, vol. 19, issue 2, 109-137

Abstract: Education policy-makers and practitioners want to know which policies and practices can best achieve their goals. But research that can inform evidence-based policy often requires complex methods to distinguish causation from accidental association. Avoiding econometric jargon and technical detail, this paper explains the main idea and intuition of leading empirical strategies devised to identify causal impacts and illustrates their use with real-world examples. It covers six evaluation methods: controlled experiments, lotteries of oversubscribed programs, instrumental variables, regression discontinuities, differences-in-differences approach, and panel data techniques. Illustrating applications include evaluations of early childhood interventions, voucher lotteries, funding programs for disadvantaged students, and compulsory school and tracking reforms.

Keywords: causal effects; education; policy evaluation; non-technical guide (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (33)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Econometric methods for causal evaluation of education policies and practices: A non-technical guide (2011)
Working Paper: Econometric Methods for Causal Evaluation of Education Policies and Practices: A Non-Technical Guide (2010)
Working Paper: Econometric Methods for Causal Evaluation of Education Policies and Practices: A Non-Technical Guide (2009)
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DOI: 10.1080/09645292.2010.511821

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