SMS GIRL: Sending Messages about Schooling: Gender Innovation for Re-Enrolment and Learning

Last registered on August 11, 2020

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
SMS GIRL: Sending Messages about Schooling: Gender Innovation for Re-Enrolment and Learning
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0006088
Initial registration date
July 13, 2020

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
July 13, 2020, 2:36 PM EDT

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

Last updated
August 11, 2020, 5:30 PM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
World Bank

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation
University of Illinois at Chicago
PI Affiliation
World Bank
PI Affiliation
World Bank
PI Affiliation
World Bank
PI Affiliation
LUMS

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2020-07-15
End date
2022-06-30
Secondary IDs
Abstract
COVID-19 related school closures in Pakistan put girls’ enrollment at risk due to three main exclusion mechanisms: (1) income shocks may interact with gender bias in household investment in girl’s education, (2) shift in intra-household roles which, if become permanent, may prompt girls’ dropouts, and (3) perceptions of heightened risk of attending school which have been shown to be biased against girls. This RCT will evaluate interventions that target these three different mechanisms by running text messaging and a social mobilization campaign in the form three different treatments: (1) campaign to promote girls participation in distance education and to return to school when schools reopen, (2) campaign to promote enrollment in the girls’ stipend program in place in 16 districts in Punjab, and (3), when schools reopen, a campaign to promote awareness of the safety measures in place at schools.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Geven, Koen et al. 2020. "SMS GIRL: Sending Messages about Schooling: Gender Innovation for Re-Enrolment and Learning." AEA RCT Registry. August 11. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.6088-1.2000000000000002
Sponsors & Partners

Sponsors

Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Treatment 1: Text message and phone campaign to promote girls participation in distance education and to return to school when schools reopen.

Treatment 2: Text message and phone campaign to promote enrollment in the girls’ stipend program in place in 16 districts in Punjab

Treatment 3: Text message, phone and social mobilization campaign to promote awareness of the safety measures in place at schools
Intervention Start Date
2020-08-01
Intervention End Date
2021-03-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Girls’ learning outcomes, school enrollment, school attendance, girls’ time-use (studying, household chores, working, etc.)
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
For districts in which the girls’ stipend is available Treatment 1 (messaging about distance learning) and 2 (messaging about girls' stipends) will be randomized at the student level stratified by sampled school and each treatment, i.e.: students in each sampled school will be assigned to receive Treatment 1 (messaging about distance learning) and Treatment 2 (messaging about girls' stipends) or Treatment 1 (messaging about distance learning) alone or Treatment 2 (messaging about girls' stipends) alone or neither.

For districts without the girls’ stipend, Treatment 1 (messaging about distance learning) will be randomized within sampled schools, i.e.: students in each school assigned either to Treatment 3 (social mobilization) or not.

Treatment 3 is a cluster RCT; sampled schools will be selected at random either to receive the treatment or not.


Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization is done in office by a computer.
Randomization Unit
Treatment 1 (messaging about distance learning) and Treatment 2 (messaging about girls' stipends) are randomized at the student level. Treatment 3 (social mobilization) is a cluster RCT; sampled schools will be selected at random either to receive the treatment or not.


Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
Treatment 3 (social mobilization): 400 schools in each arm, 800 schools total
Sample size: planned number of observations
Treatment 3 (social mobilization): 400 in each arm, 800 total
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Treatments 1: 3,500 to 4,000 in treatment, and 3,500 to 4,000 in control
Treatment 2: 1,000 to 1,300 in treatment, and 1,000 to 1,300 in control
Treatment 3 (social mobilization): 7,000 to 8,000 girls within 400 treatment schools and 400 controls
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
LUMS IRB
IRB Approval Date
2020-07-13
IRB Approval Number
LUMS-IRB/07012020RM

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials