Do Value-Added Estimates Add Value? Accounting for Learning Dynamics

Evaluations of educational programs commonly assume that what children learn persists over time. The authors compare learning in Pakistani public and private schools using dynamic panel methods that account for three key empirical challenges to widely used value-added models: imperfect persistence, unobserved student heterogeneity, and measurement error. Their estimates suggest that only a fifth to a half of learning persists between grades and that private schools increase average achievement by 0.25 standard deviations each year. In contrast, estimates from commonly used value-added models significantly understate the impact of private schools on student achievement and/or overstate persistence. These results have implications for program evaluation and value-added accountability system design.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Andrabi, Tahir, Das, Jishnu, Khwaja, Asim Ijaz, Zajonc, Tristan
Language:	English
Published:	2009-09-01
Subjects:	ACHIEVEMENT TEST SCORES, ACHIEVEMENT TESTS, ACTIVE LEARNING, ADULT EDUCATION, ADULTS, BASIC EDUCATION, CATHOLIC SCHOOLS, CLASS SIZE, CLASSROOM, CLASSROOM STUDIES, CLASSROOM TEACHERS, COGNITIVE ACHIEVEMENT, COGNITIVE SKILLS, COMPARATIVE EDUCATION, EARLY CHILDHOOD, EARLY GRADES, ECONOMICS OF EDUCATION, EDUCATED PARENTS, EDUCATION FINANCE, EDUCATION PROGRAMS, EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT, EDUCATIONAL HISTORY, EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE, EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTIONS, EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH, EFFECTIVE TEACHERS, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, EMPLOYMENT, END OF GRADE, EXAM, EXAMS, EXPENDITURES, FIRST GRADE, GIRLS, GRADE RETENTION, HEAD START, HOMEWORK, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN RESOURCES, LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS, LEARNERS, LEARNING, LEARNING LEVELS, LEARNING PROCESS, LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT, LITERATURE, LOW ACHIEVEMENT, LOWER ACHIEVEMENT, MATHEMATICS, MIDDLE SCHOOL, PAPERS, PARENTAL EDUCATION, PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS, PRIMARY DATA, PRIVATE PRIVATE, PRIVATE SCHOOL, PRIVATE SCHOOL EFFECT, PRIVATE SCHOOLING, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, PUBLIC SCHOOL, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, QUALITY TEACHERS, READING, REPORT CARDS, RESEARCH INSTITUTE, RESEARCHERS, RURAL VILLAGE, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, SCHOOL COST, SCHOOL COUNTERPARTS, SCHOOL EDUCATION, SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS, SCHOOL EFFECTS, SCHOOL EFFICIENCY, SCHOOL ENROLLMENT, SCHOOL HOURS, SCHOOL LEVEL, SCHOOL PERFORMANCE, SCHOOL QUALITY, SCHOOL TYPES, SCHOOL YEAR, SCHOOLING, SKILL DEVELOPMENT, STUDENT ABILITY, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, SUBJECT MATTER, SUBJECTS, TEACHER, TEACHER INCENTIVES, TEACHER QUALITY, TEACHERS, TEACHING, TEST SCORES, TEXTBOOKS, TUITION, TUTORING, TUTORS, VOUCHERS,
Online Access:	http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20090928165656 https://hdl.handle.net/10986/4257
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