Erich Battistin|Elena Claudia Meroni
Should we increase instruction time in low achieving schools? Evidence from Southern Italy
Queen Mary University of London|Centre for Economic Policy Research|Joint Research Centre
paper investigates short term effects large scale intervention funded european social fund provides additional instruction time selected classes lower secondary schools southern italy selection addressed using institutional rules regulate class formation first year students divided groups distinguished letters remain group across grades school composition teachers assigned groups stable time using differenceindifferences strategy consider consecutive cohorts first year students enrolled group compare participating groups nonparticipating groups within school well groups nonparticipating schools find intervention raised scores mathematics students least advantaged backgrounds also find targeting best students extra activities language comes cost lowering performance mathematics go beyond average effects finding positive effect mathematics driven larger effects best students