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How the Time of Day Affects Productivity: Evidence from School Schedules

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  • Nolan G. Pope

    (University of Chicago)

Abstract

Increasing the efficiency of the school system is a primary focus of policymakers. I analyze how the time of day affects students’ productivity and if efficiency gains can be obtained by rearranging the order of tasks they perform throughout the school day. Using a panel data set of nearly 2 million sixth- through eleventh-grade students in Los Angeles County, I perform within-teacher, class type, and student estimation of the time-of-day effect on students’ learning as measured by GPA and state test scores. I find that given a school start time, students learn more in the morning than later in the school day. Having a morning instead of afternoon math or English class increases a student’s GPA by 0.072 (0.006) and 0.032 (0.006), respectively. A morning math class increases state test scores by an amount equivalent to increasing teacher quality by one-fourth standard deviation or half of the gender gap. Rearranging school schedules can lead to increased academic performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Nolan G. Pope, 2016. "How the Time of Day Affects Productivity: Evidence from School Schedules," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 98(1), pages 1-11, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:restat:v:98:y:2016:i:1:p:1-11
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    File URL: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/REST_a_00525
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    Cited by:

    1. Ha, Hyungserk & Jung, Eun Jin & Koh, Kanghyock, 2021. "Does a delayed school start time cause students to exercise less? Evidence from South Korea," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    2. Groen, Jeffrey A. & Pabilonia, Sabrina Wulff, 2019. "Snooze or lose: High school start times and academic achievement," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 204-218.
    3. Haggag, Kareem & Patterson, Richard W. & Pope, Nolan G. & Feudo, Aaron, 2021. "Attribution bias in major decisions: Evidence from the United States Military Academy," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    4. Hervé, Justine & Mani, Subha & Behrman, Jere R. & Laxminarayan, Ramanan & Nandi, Arindam, 2024. "Food Coma Is Real: The Effect of Digestive Fatigue on Adolescents' Cognitive Performance," IZA Discussion Papers 16909, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Timothy M. Diette & Manu Raghav, 2017. "Does early bird catch the worm or a lower GPA? Evidence from a liberal arts college," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(33), pages 3341-3350, July.
    6. Goulas Sofoklis & Megalokonomou Rigissa, 2020. "Marathon, Hurdling, or Sprint? The Effects of Exam Scheduling on Academic Performance," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 20(2), pages 1-36, April.
    7. Ana Reynoso & Martín A. Rossi, 2019. "Teenage Risky Behavior And Parental Supervision: The Unintended Consequences Of Multiple Shifts School Systems," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 57(2), pages 774-791, April.
    8. Meier, Armando N. & Levav, Jonathan & Meier, Stephan, 2020. "Early Release and Recidivism," IZA Discussion Papers 13035, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Lester Lusher & Vasil Yasenov, 2018. "Gender Performance Gaps: Quasi‐Experimental Evidence On The Role Of Gender Differences In Sleep Cycles," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 56(1), pages 252-262, January.
    10. Cotti, Chad & Gordanier, John & Ozturk, Orgul, 2018. "Class meeting frequency, start times, and academic performance," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 12-15.
    11. Thomas Leoni, 2019. "Fehlzeitenreport 2019. Krankheits- und unfallbedingte Fehlzeiten in Österreich – Die flexible Arbeitswelt: Arbeitszeit und Gesundheit," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 62103.
    12. Anthony LokTing Yim, 2023. "How Early Morning Classes Change Academic Trajectories: Evidence from a Natural Experiment," Purdue University Economics Working Papers 1334, Purdue University, Department of Economics.
    13. Miftachul Huda & Jibrail Bin Yusuf & Kamarul Azmi Jasmi & Gamal Nasir Zakaria, 2016. "Understanding Comprehensive Learning Requirements in the Light of al-Zarnūjī’s Ta‘līm al-Muta‘allim," SAGE Open, , vol. 6(4), pages 21582440166, November.
    14. Mohammed Ibrahim Aldaghir, 2018. "Do Morning Classes Improve Student Learning of Microeconomics Principles?," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 24(2), pages 163-177, May.
    15. Liu, Jing & Lee, Monica & Gershenson, Seth, 2021. "The short- and long-run impacts of secondary school absences," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    16. Martin Jankovský & Michal Allman & Zuzana Allmanová, 2019. "What Are the Occupational Risks in Forestry? Results of a Long-Term Study in Slovakia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-17, December.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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