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Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, and read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters. For media inquiries, please email us.

Reducing Parent-School Information Gaps and Improving Education Outcomes: Evidence from High-Frequency Text Messages

Samuel Berlinski
Mattias Busso
Claudia Martinez
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of regular informational text messages to parents on children’s academic performance. The intervention improved math grades and attendance, although it did not impact negative classroom behavior on average. These effects were generally...

Moral Incentives to Increase Credit Card Repayment in Indonesia

Daniel Gottlieb
Martin Kanz
Researchers partnered with a large Indonesian Islamic bank to evaluate the impact of sending moral appeals in reminder text messages to late-paying credit card holders. Messages stating that non-repayment of debts by someone who is able to repay is an injustice increased the number of clients...

The Impact of Energy Efficiency Messaging on Audit Takeup and Investment in Wisconsin

Researchers examined the informational, behavioral, and monetary drivers behind takeup of residential energy efficiency audits and subsequent investments in Wisconsin. While receipt of promotional letters and subsidies did induce higher rates of audit participation, overall takeup and investment in...

Creating Incentives to Decrease Water Waste in Zambia

Researchers partnered with a water company in Zambia to evaluate whether improved information and incentives can help households manage their water usage. They found that targeting incentives to higher household water consumers might be an effective way to reduce water consumption.

Disrupting Education? Evidence on Technology-Aided Instruction in India

Researchers evaluated a computer-based adaptive learning platform (Mindspark) for secondary school students in urban India to measure the impact of customized learning technology on student test scores. The program increased test scores across all groups of students and was cost-effective compared...

Teacher Training and Student Achievement in Science: Evidence from France

Suzanne Bellue
Adrien Bouguen
Valérie Munier
André Tricot
Researchers evaluated the impact of its science and technology teacher training program on the educational interests and academic achievement of affected students. Student outcomes improved in the short-run during the year the teacher received the training and worsened in the year after teachers...

Understanding the Potential of Summer Jobs Programs for Youth in Philadelphia

Researchers are conducting a randomized evaluation to test the impact of being offered a summer job through Philadelphia’s WorkReady program on outcomes related to criminal justice involvement, employment, and education.