We employ a pseudo-panel approach to link the achievements of the same cohort of Italian students over two waves of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. As we investigate the determinants of learning divides in math and science at the end of the lower secondary school...

We conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of a summer learning program for vulnerable students across ten cities in Italy (N=1,038). The program had two components: educational workshops in small groups (88 hours) and personalized tutoring (12 hours). Results indicate...

Although a large literature explores the achievement gap between minority and non-minority students, very little is known about whether disparities in access to technology are partly responsible. Data from the first-ever field experiment involving the random provision of free computers to...

Long-run labor market inequities are frequently attributed to disparities in primary and secondary school quality, and philanthropists often resort to targeted and tightly conditioned gifts to address these quality disparities. We match data on the Rosenwald Schools Program, an early 20th...

Students who attend schools in low income communities have significantly lower achievement and make smaller gains than their counterparts in high income communities. Explanations for this achievement gap are generally based on constraints in financial resources. However, when equalizing...

I investigate "own-race teacher effects," i.e., the extent that students benefit from having a teacher with the same racial background. Own-race teacher effects may justify recruitment of underrepresented groups in teaching and, in combination with peer effects, help to determine the optimal...

This paper presents an agent-based model of the standard U.S. k-12th grade classroom using NetLogo. By creating an artificial society, we identify the casual implications of the same-race effect (a moderate sized academic boost to students whose teachers have the same race) on the national...