Should you Meet The Parents? The impact of information on non-test score attributes on school choice - Economics Seminar

Event Date: 19 October 2022

Speaker: Lorenzo Neri, University of St Andrews as a Lecturer (Assistant Professor)

Time: 4-5:15pm

Location: Please contact Rachel Hill (r.hill@strath.ac.uk) for Zoom details

Abstract: "We show that parental choice responds to hard-to-find information on non-test score attributes of schools. We exploit an intervention providing parents with information on the school environment while holding (widespread) information on school performance constant. Enrolment at local public-sector schools increases relative to private schools, especially among high-income and high-performing students. We adopt a utility function framework to show that the taste for academic performance is not affected by the treatment, while parents choose state schools that share common attributes with private schools. Our results imply that simple interventions may increase state schools’ financial resources and peer quality."

Published: 25 October 2022