Abstract
Many developing countries provide schools with diagnostic feedback on their performance. Yet, evidence on these initiatives focuses on the effect of providing information on student achievement. We conducted four experiments in Argentina to estimate the effect of providing schools with information on internal efficiency (e.g., passing, repetition, and dropout rates), which is more readily available and easier to understand.
In 2017, we carried out two studies. In study 1, which covered 23 out of Argentina’s 24 provinces, we randomly assigned schools to one of three groups: (a) one in which they received report cards that compared their internal efficiency indicators to those of all other schools in the country; (b) one in which they received similar reports that only compared them to schools of the same management type (i.e., public or private); or (c) one that did not receive any reports. In study 2, in the Province of Tucumán, we randomly assigned schools to one of four groups: (a) one of the three groups in study 1; or (b) one in which schools received report cards that compared their internal efficiency indicators to those of all other schools in the country and a professional development workshop for principals.
In 2018, we conducted two more studies. In study 3, which covered 23 provinces, we randomly assigned schools to one of two groups: (a) one in which they received report cards that compared their internal efficiency indicators to those of all other schools in the country; or (b) one that did not receive any report cards. In study 4, in the Province of Salta, we randomly assigned schools to: (a) a group that received a print version of the report; or (b) one that did not receive any reports.