Discovering and Supporting Hidden Talents through Math Olympiads in Colombia

Last registered on March 06, 2024
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Discovering and Supporting Hidden Talents through Math Olympiads in Colombia
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0013053
Initial registration date
February 27, 2024

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
March 06, 2024, 3:34 PM EST

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

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Primary Investigator

Name
Santiago Saavedra
Affiliation
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2024-02-01
End date
2025-11-30
Keywords
Education
Additional Keywords
Mathematics Olympiads
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Mathematical olympiads are widely recognized as an effective way to identify STEM
talent. However, many talented students do not participate, either because they are
unaware of the contests or because financial barriers (e.g., enrollment fees and travel
costs) prevent them from participating. As a result, many students with extraordinary
abilities are currently being overlooked. Colombia has a well-established math olympiad program with a track record of success
in international competitions. We propose a randomized controlled trial to study two
interventions expanding access to the program, aimed at students whose schools do
not currently offer the qualifying exam and those who cannot afford to travel for the
semifinals and finals. This experiment will allow us to study (1) the efficacy of cost
waivers and other low-cost interventions in expanding access to olympiads and their
associated education opportunities and (2) the effect of math contest participation on
outcomes, including college choice and intended major.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Saavedra, Santiago. 2024. "Discovering and Supporting Hidden Talents through Math Olympiads in Colombia." AEA RCT Registry. March 06. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.13053-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2024-03-19
Intervention End Date
2025-07-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Math Olympiad scores, high school exit exams result, college enrollemnt, college completion, wages
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Within quadruplets of schools with similar math performance and located in the same region, we randomly select two schools to receive free enrollment to math Olympiads.

We will also randomly subsidy travel vouchers to students that make it to the final round
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
Schools
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
260 schools in 2024
Could be expanded in 2025 based on funding
Sample size: planned number of observations
26,000 students directly treated, up to 374,400 students potential spillovers
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
260 treatment schools
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Comité de Ética en Investigación Universidad del Rosario
IRB Approval Date
2024-02-26
IRB Approval Number
DVO005 868 - CS513
Analysis Plan