Search our database of 1,200+ summaries of randomized evaluations conducted by our affiliates in 99 countries. To browse key policy recommendations from a subset of these evaluations, visit the Policy Publications tab above.

Displaying 57-64 of 1270
A teacher calling on students raising their hands in a classroom.

Sending Text Messages to Parents to Improve Student Achievement in Middle and High Schools in the United States

Peter Bergman
Eric W. Chan
A randomized evaluation of the text alert program showed that the intervention reduced course failures, increased class attendance and improved in-class exam scores. The effects are larger for students with below-average GPAs and students in high school, and positive effects persist into the second...
Students participate in a Big Word Club activity

Evaluating the Impact of a Tech-Based Early Childhood Vocabulary Program in the United States

Ariel Kalil
Susan Mayer
Philip Oreopoulos
Rohen Shah
Researchers evaluated the impact of a vocabulary improvement “edutainment” program for young children, Big Word Club, on children’s receptive vocabulary. Researchers found that the Big Word Club increased students’ knowledge and retention of words included in the program without detracting from...
A gloved hand holds a blue ORCA transit card in front of a bus stop where a bus is parked.

Can Transportation Subsidies Reduce Failures to Appear in Criminal Court?

Rebecca Brough
Matthew Freedman
Daniel E. Ho
David Phillips
Researchers partnered with local agencies in King County, Washington to evaluate the impact of providing transit subsidies on rates of FTA in court. While the study was disrupted due to Covid-19, the pilot results indicated that transit subsidies had little effect on reducing FTA.
Close up, business woman using mobile smart phone

The Effect of Text Message Reminders on Failure to Appear in Court in the Rural United States

Emily Owens
Carly Will Sloan
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of text message reminders on rates of failure to appear in court (FTA) among people who are unhoused and housed in rural Shasta County, California. The reminders reduced FTA rates for the housed population, but did not impact FTA rates...
Outdoor view of voter turnout potentially influenced by partisan mail in the United States

Partisan Mail and Voter Turnout in the United States

Alan Gerber
Donald Green
Matthew Green
Through a randomized evaluation, researchers examined the effects of partisan mail campaigns on voter turnout in state and municipal elections in Connecticut and New Jersey. Results indicate that partisan direct mail campaigns do little to stimulate voter turnout.
Elementary school students engage in group activity with teacher in the United States

The Effect of School Choice on Academic Achievement in the United States

Julie Berry Cullen
Brian Jacob
Researchers used Chicago’s school choice program, which uses a random lottery to allocate slots in elementary schools, to evaluate how the opportunity to attend a higher-quality school impacts academic achievement. They found that lottery winners are more likely to attend higher-performing schools...
Woman text messaging

The Impact of Communication Messages on Student Performance in São Paulo, Brazil

Eric Bettinger
Guilherme Lichand
Ricardo Madeira
Researchers, in partnership with the São Paulo Education Secretariat, conducted a randomized evaluation in ninth grade classrooms to investigate the mechanisms driving the effects of communicating with parents on education outcomes.
mother holding twin babies

The Impact of Unconditional Cash Transfers to Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers on Child Health in India

Karthik Muralidharan
Paul Niehaus
Sandip Sukhtankar
Jeffrey Weaver
In partnership with the Government of Jharkhand, researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to study the impact of unconditional, framed cash transfers to pregnant women and lactating mothers on child health.