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Registration

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Trial Status on_going completed
Last Published March 02, 2021 06:40 AM June 24, 2025 06:55 PM
Study Withdrawn No
Intervention Completion Date March 01, 2021
Data Collection Complete Yes
Final Sample Size: Number of Clusters (Unit of Randomization) Randomization was at the individual level (no clusters). Among WhatsApp-reached applicants, treatment assignment by arm was approximately: Ecuador 2021 T1: ~149 applicants T2: ~141 applicants T3: ~141 applicants Peru 2021 T1: 568 applicants T2: 572 applicants T3: 568 applicants Peru 2022 T1: 377 applicants T2: 380 applicants T3: 383 applicants Total WhatsApp-treated and observed sample: 3,279 applicants
Was attrition correlated with treatment status? No
Final Sample Size: Total Number of Observations The unit of randomization is the individual applicant (student/family). A total of 4,869 applicants were randomized across three country-year settings: Ecuador 2021: 2,021 applicants randomized Peru 2021: 1,708 applicants randomized Peru 2022: 1,140 applicants randomized All randomized units were treated. Randomization was conducted at the individual level; there were no clusters.
Final Sample Size (or Number of Clusters) by Treatment Arms The unit of randomization is the individual applicant (student/family). A total of 4,869 applicants were randomized across three treatment arms in three country-year settings, as follows: Ecuador 2021: 676 applicants – Control: Warning only (T1) 673 applicants – Treatment 1: Warning + list of 10 suggested schools (T2) 672 applicants – Treatment 2: Warning + list of 10 suggested schools with information on popularity and congestion (T3) Peru 2021: 568 applicants – Control: Warning only (T1) 572 applicants – Treatment 1: Warning + list of 10 suggested schools (T2) 568 applicants – Treatment 2: Warning + list of 10 suggested schools with information on popularity and congestion (T3) Peru 2022: 377 applicants – Control: Warning only (T1) 380 applicants – Treatment 1: Warning + list of 10 suggested schools (T2) 383 applicants – Treatment 2: Warning + list of 3 suggested schools (T3) All randomized units were treated and observed.
Is there a restricted access data set available on request? No
Program Files No
Data Collection Completion Date April 01, 2021
Is data available for public use? No
Keyword(s) Behavior, Education Behavior, Education
Building on Existing Work No
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Papers

Field Before After
Paper Abstract This paper evaluates how new information influences families applica- tions and assignment outcomes in elementary school choice settings. Specifi- cally, using a multi-country RCT based in Tacna, Peru and Manta, Ecuador, we examine the effect of providing personalized information on schooling alternatives and placement risk. We find that applicants who received feed- back on placement risk and a suggestion of new schools add more schools to their applications and were more likely to include recommended schools than other alternatives available. Interestingly, the project implemented in Manta, Ecuador had only marginal effects for all outcomes. The main differ- ence across implementations was the inclusion of outreach and information provision through an additional WhatsApp “warning” in Peru, which was not realized in Ecuador. A lower school density seems to have also been a contributing factor to the results observed in the Ecuadorian context.
Paper Citation Arteaga, F., Elacqua, G., Krussig, T., Méndez, C., & Neilson, C. (2022). Can Information on School Attributes and Placement Probabilities Direct Search and Choice? Evidence from Choice Platforms in Ecuador and Peru. https://doi.org/10.18235/0004672
Paper URL http://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0004672
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Post Trial Documents

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Description current working paper
File
Arteaga et al 2025.pdf
MD5: ff2c420e623844b7a1e54e7ea1fdc344
SHA1: e71c58ea2c2dbb64e1b835e9ed6ebe4de6789c97
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