@techreport{saavedra_targeted_2017, type = {Technical {Note}}, title = {Targeted {Remedial} {Education}: {Experimental} {Evidence} from {Peru}}, abstract = {Improving learning among low-achieving students is a challenge in education. We present results from the first randomized experiment of an inquiry-based remedial science education program for low-performing elementary students in a developing-country setting. Third-grade students in 48 low-income public elementary schools in Metropolitan Lima who score at the bottom half of their school distribution in a science test taken at the beginning of the school year are randomly assigned to receive up to 16 remedial science tutoring sessions of 90 minutes each. Control group compliance with assignment is close to perfect. Treatment group compliance is 40 percent, equivalent to 4.5 tutoring sessions, or a 4 percent increase in total science instruction time. Despite the low treatment intensity, students assigned to the remedial sessions score 0.12 standard deviations higher on a science endline test, with all gains concentrated among boys. We find no evidence of remedial education producing within-student spillovers to other subject areas (math or reading) or spillovers on other students in the classroom. We conclude that low-intensity remedial education can have an effect on science learning among low-achieving students.}, language = {en}, number = {1317}, institution = {Inter-American Development Bank}, author = {Saavedra, Juan E and Näslund-Hadley, Emma and Alfonso, Mariana}, month = sep, year = {2017}, note = {KerkoCite.ItemAlsoKnownAs: 2339240:ZKLEFGM9 2405685:RAJ7SP2W}, pages = {43}, } @article{naslund-hadley_fostering_2014, title = {Fostering {Early} {Math} {Comprehension}: {Experimental} {Evidence} from {Paraguay}}, volume = {1}, abstract = {Research indicates that preschool children need to learn pre-math skills to build a foundation for primary- and secondary-level mathematics. This paper presents the results from the early stages of a pilot mathematics program implemented in Cordillera, Paraguay. In a context of significant gaps in teacher preparation and pedagogy, the program uses interactive audio segments that cover the entire preschool math curriculum. Since Paraguayan classrooms tend to be bilingual, the audio and written materials use a combination of Spanish and Guaraní. Based on an experimental evaluation since the program’s implementation, we document positive and significant improvements of 0.16 standard deviations in standardized test scores. The program helped narrow learning gaps between low- and high-performing students, and between students with trained teachers and those whose teachers lack formal training in early childhood education. Moreover, the program improved learning equally among both Guaraní- and Spanish-speaking students. But not all learning gaps narrowed as a result of the program. Although girls improved significantly, boys improved much more, ultimately increasing the gender gap. To close this gender gap, the program has been modified to encourage girls’ increased participation in the classroom and general interest in math.}, language = {en}, number = {4}, journal = {Global Education Review}, author = {Naslund-Hadley, Emma and Parker, Susan W and Hernandez-Agramonte, Juan Manuel}, year = {2014}, note = {KerkoCite.ItemAlsoKnownAs: 2405685:HRIPFXGZ}, keywords = {⛔ No DOI found}, }