Working Paper: NBER ID: w22130
Authors: Roland G. Fryer Jr.
Abstract: Randomized field experiments designed to better understand the production of human capital have increased exponentially over the past several decades. This chapter summarizes what we have learned about various partial derivatives of the human capital production function, what important partial derivatives are left to be estimated, and what – together – our collective efforts have taught us about how to produce human capital in developed countries. The chapter concludes with a back of the envelope simulation of how much of the racial wage gap in America might be accounted for if human capital policy focused on best practices gleaned from randomized field experiments.
Keywords: human capital; randomized field experiments; racial wage gap; education policy
JEL Codes: I0; J0; J38
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| targeted early childhood education (I21) | reduction in racial and ethnic disparities (I24) |
| early childhood interventions (J13) | educational outcomes (I26) |
| Perry Preschool program (I21) | higher test scores (C52) |
| Perry Preschool program (I21) | lower grade retention rates (I21) |
| Perry Preschool program (I21) | fewer lifetime arrests (K40) |
| school-based interventions (I21) | academic achievement (I24) |
| home-based interventions (D13) | children's test scores (I21) |
| income maintenance experiments (H53) | children's test scores (I21) |