Title

Experimental Estimates of Education Production Functions

Author(s)

Alan B. Krueger Alan Krueger (Princeton University and NBER)

Abstract

This paper analyzes data on 11,600 students and their teachers who were randomly assigned to different size classes from kindergarten through third grade. Statistical methods are used to adjust for non-random attrition and transitions between classes. The main conclusions are: (1) on average, performance on standardized tests increases by 4 percentile points the first year students attend small classes; (2) the test score advantage of students in small classes expands by about one percentile point per year in subsequent years; (3) teacher aides and measured teacher characteristics have little effect; (4) class size has a larger effect for minority students and those on free lunch; (5) Hawthorne effects were unlikely.

Creation Date

1997-05

Section URL ID

IRS

Paper Number

379

URL

https://dataspace.princeton.edu/bitstream/88435/dsp012v23vt38v/1/379.pdf

File Function

Jel

E59, E6

Keyword(s)

class size, experiment, education production function, random assignment

Suppress

false

Series

1