Raising Educational Aspirations - An Experimental Evaluation

Last registered on October 17, 2022
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Raising Educational Aspirations - An Experimental Evaluation
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0010217
Initial registration date
October 14, 2022

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
October 17, 2022, 5:34 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Catia Batista
Affiliation
Nova School of Business and Economics
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Ana Reis
PI Affiliation
Nova School of Business and Economics
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PI Name
Pedro Freitas
PI Affiliation
Nova School of Business and Economics
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PI Name
Wayne Sandholtz
PI Affiliation
Nova School of Business and Economics
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PI Name
Jose Tavares
PI Affiliation
Nova School of Business and Economics
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2022-11-02
End date
2026-12-31
Keywords
Education
Additional Keywords
information, aspirations
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study tests whether exposure to role models, in the context of a university campus visit, and information about returns to college impact educational decisions and achievements of students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Batista, Catia et al. 2022. "Raising Educational Aspirations - An Experimental Evaluation." AEA RCT Registry. October 17. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.10217-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention(s)
1. Control group (75 schools): will watch a placebo video about the main differences between the professional and academic paths that 9th grade students will need to choose at the end of the school year.
2. Treatment group 1 (75 schools): will watch the same placebo video as the control group, and an additional video documenting the returns to college education.
3. Treatment group 2 (75 schools): will watch the same placebo video and additional video documenting the returns to college education as Treatment group 1; university campus visit, where students will watch testimonials by college graduates coming from a similar disadvantaged socioeconomic background and talk to current students also coming from a similar disadvantaged socioeconomic background.
Intervention Start Date
2022-11-02
Intervention End Date
2023-05-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Our primary outcomes of interest are students’ academic choices and achievement at the end of the 9th grade.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
To measure these outcomes we will use administrative data on standardized test scores on national exams and educational tracking choice after completing the 9th grade, as well as our own survey data measuring academic performance.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Our secondary outcomes of interest are motivation, cognitive ability, effort, educational aspirations and beliefs regarding returns to college and college life.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
To measure these outcomes we will use our own survey data.

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
1. Control group (75 schools): will watch a placebo video about the main differences between the professional and academic paths that 9th grade students will need to choose at the end of the school year.
2. Treatment group 1 (75 schools): will watch the same placebo video as the control group, and an additional video documenting the returns to college education.
3. Treatment group 2 (75 schools): will watch the same placebo video and additional video documenting the returns to college education as Treatment group 1; university campus visit, where students will watch testimonials by college graduates coming from a similar disadvantaged socioeconomic background and talk to current students also coming from a similar disadvantaged socioeconomic background.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer.
Randomization Unit
School
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
225 schools
Sample size: planned number of observations
We expect to have about 5,500 students in our sample.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
75 schools per treatment arm
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Nova School of Business and Economics
IRB Approval Date
2022-02-04
IRB Approval Number
202215
Analysis Plan