Back to History

Fields Changed

Registration

Field Before After
Abstract This paper uses a field experiment to answer how information frictions between parents and their children affect the inputs to human capital formation and how much reducing these frictions can improve student achievement. In Los Angeles, a random sample of parents was provided detailed information about their child's academic progress. As in a standard principal-agent model, more information allowed parents to induce more effort from their children, which translated into gains in achievement. However, additional information also changed parents' beliefs and spurred demand for information from the school. Teachers were asked to predict students that would benefit most from this intervention, but there were no differential effects for students teachers selected. Relative to other interventions, additional information to parents potentially produces gains in achievement at a low cost. This study uses a field experiment to answer how information problems between parents and their children affect education outcomes and whether a cost-effective intervention can ameliorate these problems to improve student achievement. In Los Angeles, a random sample of parents was provided detailed information about their child's academic progress. Teachers were also asked to predict students that would benefit most from this intervention.
Last Published February 21, 2014 12:56 PM February 22, 2014 12:11 PM
Back to top