Working Paper: NBER ID: w30529
Authors: Jin Zhou; James J. Heckman; Bei Liu; Mai Lu; Susan M. Chang; Sally Grantham McGregor
Abstract: This paper summarizes empirical findings from a series of recent papers studying a replication of the Jamaica Reach Up and Learn home visiting program in China, China REACH. It collects more detailed information than is available on the original program. An analysis of it facilitates investigation of the skills generated by Jamaica Reach Up and Learn. We find evidence for dynamic complementarity for medium- and low-ability children. Children who start behind only slowly catch up. Able children are an exception. Most children master its goals for skill development, but the pace of learning varies greatly among children classified by ability. The program scales well. Costs per pupil are roughly $500 (2015 USD). At the same ages, treatment effect sizes and skill growth curves are comparable across the Jamaica and China REACH interventions, despite differences in scale and differences in cultural settings. We develop a method for comparing scores on different tests by anchoring comparisons on common items.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: J13
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| China Reach program (O36) | children's language skills (J13) |
| China Reach program (O36) | children's cognitive skills (G53) |
| longer exposure to home visitors (I19) | treatment effects (C22) |
| China Reach program (O36) | Jamaica Reach program outcomes (I24) |