Schools, Skills, and Synapses

James Heckman

No 3515, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper discusses (a) the role of cognitive and noncognitive ability in shaping adult outcomes, (b) the early emergence of differentials in abilities between children of advantaged families and children of disadvantaged families, (c) the role of families in creating these abilities, (d) adverse trends in American families, and (e) the effectiveness of early interventions in offsetting these trends. Practical issues in the design and implementation of early childhood programs are discussed.

Keywords: noncognitive skills; family influence; ability gaps; high school dropout; productivity; early interventions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 95 pages
Date: 2008-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-hrm and nep-ure
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (329)

Published - published in: Economic Inquiry, 2008, 46 (3), 289-324

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https://docs.iza.org/dp3515.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: SCHOOLS, SKILLS, AND SYNAPSES (2008)
Working Paper: Schools, Skills, and Synapses (2008)
Working Paper: Schools, Skills, and Synapses (2008)
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