Working Paper: NBER ID: w20843
Authors: Victor Lavy
Abstract: I study the long-term consequences of what amounted to an effective free school choice program which two decades ago targeted disadvantaged students in Israel. I show that the program led to significant gains in post-secondary education, through increased enrollment in academic and teachers' colleges but without any increase in enrollment in research universities. Free school choice increased also earnings at adulthood of treated students. Male students had much larger improvements in college schooling and labor market outcomes. Female students, however, experienced higher increases in marriage and fertility rates, which most likely interfered with their schooling and labor market outcomes.
Keywords: School Choice; Postsecondary Education; Labor Market Outcomes
JEL Codes: J24
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| postsecondary schooling (I23) | average annual earnings (J31) |
| free school choice program (I21) | postsecondary schooling (I23) |
| free school choice program (I21) | average annual earnings (J31) |
| free school choice program (I21) | age of having first child (J13) |
| free school choice program (I21) | marriage rates (J12) |