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(How) Do Non-Cognitive Skills Programs Improve Adolescent School Achievement? Experimental Evidence

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  • Martins, Pedro S.

    (Universidade Nova de Lisboa)

Abstract

Non-cognitive skills programs may be an important policy option to improve the academic outcomes of adolescents. In this paper, we evaluate experimentally the EPIS program, which is based on bi-weekly individual or small-group non-cognitive mediation short meetings with low-performing students. Our RCT estimates, covering nearly 3,000 7th and 8th-grade students across over 50 schools and a period of two years, indicate that the program increases the probability of progression by 11% to 22%. The effects are stronger amongst older students, girls, and in language subjects (compared to maths).

Suggested Citation

  • Martins, Pedro S., 2017. "(How) Do Non-Cognitive Skills Programs Improve Adolescent School Achievement? Experimental Evidence," IZA Discussion Papers 10950, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp10950
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    Cited by:

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    2. Vahé Nafilyan & Stefan Speckesser & Augustin de Coulon, 2020. "The long-term impact of improving non-cognitive skills of adolescents: Evidence from an English remediation programme," CVER Research Papers 028, Centre for Vocational Education Research.
    3. Pan, Zheng & Luo, Yiyang, 2023. "Peers with special needs and students’ noncognitive performance: Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    student achievement; non-cognitive skills; RCT; gender;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J08 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics Policies

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