Research
The Longer the Better? The Heterogeneous Long-term Effects of an Extended School Day Policy (In progress)
This study examines the long-term effects of an Extended School Day (ESD) program twenty years after its introduction in two segregated societies in Israel, Jewish and Arab. I find that the more disadvantaged Arab society had benefited significantly academically from the ESD program by increasing their achievements in secondary and postsecondary education, and Arab males who were exposed to the ESD program also had higher earnings in adulthood. However, within the disadvantaged Arab society, the effect was stronger for outcomes more relevant to middle-achievers and less relevant to top and bottom achievers, and also higher for individuals from relatively smaller families, and relatively higher paternal income. In contrast to Arabs, students from the more advantaged Jewish society did not experience significant positive long-term effects from the ESD program. My findings call for a more nuanced and careful approach to evaluating the benefits of ESD and point to the importance of seriously considering the proper targeting of this policy.
This study examines the long-term effects of an Extended School Day (ESD) program twenty years after its introduction in two segregated societies in Israel, Jewish and Arab. I find that the more disadvantaged Arab society had benefited significantly academically from the ESD program by increasing their achievements in secondary and postsecondary education, and Arab males who were exposed to the ESD program also had higher earnings in adulthood. However, within the disadvantaged Arab society, the effect was stronger for outcomes more relevant to middle-achievers and less relevant to top and bottom achievers, and also higher for individuals from relatively smaller families, and relatively higher paternal income. In contrast to Arabs, students from the more advantaged Jewish society did not experience significant positive long-term effects from the ESD program. My findings call for a more nuanced and careful approach to evaluating the benefits of ESD and point to the importance of seriously considering the proper targeting of this policy.
Geographic Barriers to Education in Disadvantaged Communities: Evidence from High School Openings in Israeli Arab Localities
Secondary school enrollment has grown substantially over the past century, but there is surprisingly little economic evidence on the effects of geographic access to high schools, particularly for remote and disadvantaged communities. I attempt to fill this gap in the literature by examining the effects of openings of new local high schools for the Arab minority in Israel over two episodes: (1) Historical openings in 1972-1995 for Israeli Arabs (2) Recent openings in 2007-2014 for the poorer Bedouin population of the Negev in southern Israel. For both episodes, I find that the establishment of a high school in a locality increases high school completion rates by about 5-7 percentage points (12-13%). The effect is significantly higher for localities that were further away from pre-existing schools, For the historical Arab sample, I also examine the long-run effects and find a significant increase in the age at marriage, a decline in fertility, and an increase in female employment and earnings. Among the Negev Bedouin population, I also observe a decrease in the number of juvenile crime records. Overall, these findings suggest that the geographic barrier to high school access is important, especially for disadvantaged communities, and that establishing a high school in remote communities can be beneficial in multiple aspects.
Secondary school enrollment has grown substantially over the past century, but there is surprisingly little economic evidence on the effects of geographic access to high schools, particularly for remote and disadvantaged communities. I attempt to fill this gap in the literature by examining the effects of openings of new local high schools for the Arab minority in Israel over two episodes: (1) Historical openings in 1972-1995 for Israeli Arabs (2) Recent openings in 2007-2014 for the poorer Bedouin population of the Negev in southern Israel. For both episodes, I find that the establishment of a high school in a locality increases high school completion rates by about 5-7 percentage points (12-13%). The effect is significantly higher for localities that were further away from pre-existing schools, For the historical Arab sample, I also examine the long-run effects and find a significant increase in the age at marriage, a decline in fertility, and an increase in female employment and earnings. Among the Negev Bedouin population, I also observe a decrease in the number of juvenile crime records. Overall, these findings suggest that the geographic barrier to high school access is important, especially for disadvantaged communities, and that establishing a high school in remote communities can be beneficial in multiple aspects.
Short- and Long- Term Effects of Universal Preschool: Evidence from the Arab population in Israel (In progress, with Analia Schlosser and Tatiana Baron)
We estimate the short and long-term effects of universal preschool education by analyzing the impact of the Israeli Preschool Law, which mandated the provision of public preschool for ages 3 and 4 since 2000. We focus on the Arab population, who were the main beneficiaries of the first phase of the implementation of the Law, and exploit exogenous variation in universal preschool provision across localities due to the Law's gradual implementation. Our difference-in-differences research design compares between cohorts of children in treated localities before and after the Law introduction relative to equivalent cohorts in comparison localities. We find that individuals benefitted from the provision of universal preschool along various dimensions: their academic performance in elementary, middle school, and high school improved significantly, and their post-secondary enrollment rates increased substantially. We also find beneficial effects of universal preschool on additional outcomes, such as a reduction in juvenile delinquency among boys and a decline in early marriage among women. A potential mechanism impacting long-term outcomes, was the creation of a better learning environment during elementary and middle school, with a greater sense of security and better relationships with teachers and classmates. These findings highlight the benefits of providing universal preschool education for disadvantaged communities.
We estimate the short and long-term effects of universal preschool education by analyzing the impact of the Israeli Preschool Law, which mandated the provision of public preschool for ages 3 and 4 since 2000. We focus on the Arab population, who were the main beneficiaries of the first phase of the implementation of the Law, and exploit exogenous variation in universal preschool provision across localities due to the Law's gradual implementation. Our difference-in-differences research design compares between cohorts of children in treated localities before and after the Law introduction relative to equivalent cohorts in comparison localities. We find that individuals benefitted from the provision of universal preschool along various dimensions: their academic performance in elementary, middle school, and high school improved significantly, and their post-secondary enrollment rates increased substantially. We also find beneficial effects of universal preschool on additional outcomes, such as a reduction in juvenile delinquency among boys and a decline in early marriage among women. A potential mechanism impacting long-term outcomes, was the creation of a better learning environment during elementary and middle school, with a greater sense of security and better relationships with teachers and classmates. These findings highlight the benefits of providing universal preschool education for disadvantaged communities.
