I study the impact on student achievement of a nationwide monitoring program implemented in Peruvian public schools in 2015, which involves unannounced school visits. Despite their low-stakes nature, these visits may affect teachers’ behavior if they feel supervised, learn something new, or are reminded about relevant programs linked to the teaching practices highlighted during the visits. Using student test scores from 2010 to 2015, I perform a difference-in-difference analysis to show that, after the program’s first year, reading z-scores and satisfactory levels in reading and math exhibit an increase. The improvement in learning outcomes is primarily attributed to the schools that underwent high-intensity monitoring. Although I fail to find evidence that a low-intensity monitoring visit enhances school-level student performance, I find that urban schools located at the bottom of the performance distribution significantly affect reading test scores.
A growing body of research shows that girls of recent generations outperform boys in learning outcomes across the world. This literature focuses mainly on school-age children, with limited evidence on gender disparities at preschool ages. We use data from the Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys across 25 Sub-Saharan African countries from 2011 to 2019 and compare mothers’ reports of preschool readiness skills of boys and girls ages 3–4. We find that girls are 2 percentage points more likely to both identify ten letters of the alphabet and identify the first ten numbers, while we find no difference in reading four words Moreover, we find that girls are more likely to attend early childhood education programs and be engaged in parent-child interactions at home. Both early childhood education and home stimulation activities are positively related to early literacy and numeracy skills with early childhood education having a stronger effect for girls compared to boys. Mother’s literacy have a positive effect on their children’s outcomes, with a greater magnitude for girls than boys.
This study investigates the impact of political corruption on public attitudes toward political institutions and democracy. I answer this question within the Peruvian context by exploiting the corruption shock triggered by the Odebrecht case. This scandal unveiled the complicity of high-ranking politicians in corrupt practices during the procurement process for significant infrastructure projects. Employing household survey data gathered during the unanticipated Odebrecht scandal, this research employs a quasi-experimental approach to assess the impact. The findings reveal a substantial reduction in public confidence in various political institutions and the democratic system in the aftermath of the exposure of government officials’ corrupt activities. This result aligns with the increased perception of corruption following the scandal, emphasizing the intricate connection between political corruption and the public’s trust in democratic processes.
Central Reserve Bank of Peru. Working Paper Series Nº 2013-013. November, 2013.
Revista Moneda, issue 155, p. 18-22. 2013}
Revista Economía. Departamento de Economía – Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Vol. XXXIV, N° 68, pp. 33-63. December, 2011