TY - JOUR
T1 - Many children left behind? Textbooks and test scores in Kenya
AU - Glewwe, Paul
AU - Kremer, Michael
AU - Moulin, Sylvie
PY - 2009/1
Y1 - 2009/1
N2 - A randomized evaluation in rural Kenya finds, contrary to the previous literature, that providing textbooks did not raise average test scores. Textbooks did increase the scores of the best students (those with high pretest scores) but had little effect on other students. Textbooks are written in English, most students' third language, and many students could not use them effectively. More generally, the curriculum in Kenya, and in many other developing countries, tends to be oriented toward academically strong students, leaving many students behind in societies that combine a centralized educational system; the heterogeneity in student preparation associated with rapid educational expansion; and disproportionate elite power.
AB - A randomized evaluation in rural Kenya finds, contrary to the previous literature, that providing textbooks did not raise average test scores. Textbooks did increase the scores of the best students (those with high pretest scores) but had little effect on other students. Textbooks are written in English, most students' third language, and many students could not use them effectively. More generally, the curriculum in Kenya, and in many other developing countries, tends to be oriented toward academically strong students, leaving many students behind in societies that combine a centralized educational system; the heterogeneity in student preparation associated with rapid educational expansion; and disproportionate elite power.
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U2 - 10.1257/app.1.1.112
DO - 10.1257/app.1.1.112
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77949816063
SN - 1945-7782
VL - 1
SP - 112
EP - 135
JO - American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
JF - American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
IS - 1
ER -