WORKING PAPERS
"Too Scared for School? The effects of terrorism on Israeli student achievement"
Abstract:
This study analyzes the impact of terrorism on students’ academic achievement.
I exploit the temporal and geographical variation in terror attacks in Israel during
the Second Intifada, as well as the special structure of the Israeli end-of-high-school
exams, which allows observing the same student at multiple exams in different dates.
By exploring within student variation in test scores, I provide robust evidence that
the occurrence of a fatal terror attack shortly before an exam has a significant adverse
effect on students’ exam performances. The effect is transitory and concentrated
in the five days preceding the exam. It increases with the number of fatalities and
decreases with the physical distance between the student and the attack location.
These results indicate that psychological stress is an important mechanism in the
effect of terrorism on cognitive performance. Furthermore I show that even when
terrorism only temporarily impairs students’ learning and exam performance, it has
a lasting effect on human capital accumulation.
"Out of Africa: Human Capital Consequences of In Utero Conditions" (Joint with Victor
Lavy and Analia Schlosser), NBER Working Paper No.21894, January 2016
NBER Working Paper
Media coverege - Haaretz (In Hebrew)
Abstract:
This paper investigates the effects of environmental conditions during pregnancy on later life outcomes
using quasi-experimental variation created by the immigration of Ethiopian Jews to Israel in May 24th
1991. Children in utero prior to immigration faced dramatic differences in medical care technologies,
prenatal conditions, and prenatal care at the move from Ethiopia to Israel. One of the major differences
was adequacy of micronutrient supplements, particularly iodine, iron and folic acid. We find that
children exposed in an earlier stage of the pregnancy to better environmental conditions in utero have
two decades later higher educational attainment (lower repetition and dropout rates and higher
Baccalaureate rate) and higher education quality (achieve a higher proficiency level in their Baccalaureate
diploma). The average treatment effect we estimate is driven mainly by a strong effect on girls. We
find however, no effect on birth weight or mortality for girls.
"Maimonides Rule Redux" (Joint with Josh Angrist, Victor
Lavy and Jetson Leder-Luis), NBER Working Paper No.23486, June 2017
NBER Working Paper
Abstract:
We use the discontinuous function of enrollment known as Maimonides Rule as an instrument for class size in large Israeli samples from 2002-2011. As in the 1991 data analyzed by Angrist and Lavy (1999), Maimonides Rule still has a strong first stage. In contrast with the earlier Israeli estimates, however, Maimonides-based instrumental variables estimates using more recent data show no effect of class size on achievement. The new data also reveal substantial enrollment sorting near Maimonides cutoffs, with too many schools having enrollment values that just barely produce an extra class. A modified rule that uses data on students’ birthdays to compute statutory enrollment in the absence of enrollment manipulation also generates a precisely estimated zero. In older data, the original Maimonides Rule is unrelated to socioeconomic characteristics, while in more recent data, the original rule is unrelated to socioeconomic characteristics conditional on a few controls. Enrollment manipulation therefore appears to be innocuous: neither the original negative effects nor the recent data zeros seem likely to be manipulation artifacts.
"A New Horizon? The Effect of Education Reform on Students Achievements and the
Academic Environment in Israeli Schools" (Joint with Yaniv Reingewertz)
Abstract:
This study analyzes the effect of the New Horizon educational reform on student achievements and on
the academic environment in schools. New Horizon is a broad-based national reform initiated by the
Ministry of Education and gradually implemented in elementary and lower-secondary schools in Israel
beginning in 2008. The main elements of the reform are an increase in the time teachers spend in school,
additional small-group instruction time (individual hours), an increase in teachers and principals salaries
and posing higher requirements and incentives for professional development. We use a
difference-indifferences (DID) approach to evaluate the effects of the reform on a multitude of outcomes
related to student achievements and to measures of school academic environment. We nd that in the short run,
about two years after it was rst implemented, the New Horizon reform has increased student test scores,
mainly in math and English. In addition, the reform has improved a number of the school-learning
environments attributes. We also find that the reform has had no effect on school violence and on the
general level of students satisfaction with school. Furthermore, we explore how specific components of
the reform are related to our findings.
"Too Scared for School? The effects of terrorism on Israeli student achievement"
Abstract:
This study analyzes the impact of terrorism on students’ academic achievement.
I exploit the temporal and geographical variation in terror attacks in Israel during
the Second Intifada, as well as the special structure of the Israeli end-of-high-school
exams, which allows observing the same student at multiple exams in different dates.
By exploring within student variation in test scores, I provide robust evidence that
the occurrence of a fatal terror attack shortly before an exam has a significant adverse
effect on students’ exam performances. The effect is transitory and concentrated
in the five days preceding the exam. It increases with the number of fatalities and
decreases with the physical distance between the student and the attack location.
These results indicate that psychological stress is an important mechanism in the
effect of terrorism on cognitive performance. Furthermore I show that even when
terrorism only temporarily impairs students’ learning and exam performance, it has
a lasting effect on human capital accumulation.
"Out of Africa: Human Capital Consequences of In Utero Conditions" (Joint with Victor
Lavy and Analia Schlosser), NBER Working Paper No.21894, January 2016
NBER Working Paper
Media coverege - Haaretz (In Hebrew)
Abstract:
This paper investigates the effects of environmental conditions during pregnancy on later life outcomes
using quasi-experimental variation created by the immigration of Ethiopian Jews to Israel in May 24th
1991. Children in utero prior to immigration faced dramatic differences in medical care technologies,
prenatal conditions, and prenatal care at the move from Ethiopia to Israel. One of the major differences
was adequacy of micronutrient supplements, particularly iodine, iron and folic acid. We find that
children exposed in an earlier stage of the pregnancy to better environmental conditions in utero have
two decades later higher educational attainment (lower repetition and dropout rates and higher
Baccalaureate rate) and higher education quality (achieve a higher proficiency level in their Baccalaureate
diploma). The average treatment effect we estimate is driven mainly by a strong effect on girls. We
find however, no effect on birth weight or mortality for girls.
"Maimonides Rule Redux" (Joint with Josh Angrist, Victor
Lavy and Jetson Leder-Luis), NBER Working Paper No.23486, June 2017
NBER Working Paper
Abstract:
We use the discontinuous function of enrollment known as Maimonides Rule as an instrument for class size in large Israeli samples from 2002-2011. As in the 1991 data analyzed by Angrist and Lavy (1999), Maimonides Rule still has a strong first stage. In contrast with the earlier Israeli estimates, however, Maimonides-based instrumental variables estimates using more recent data show no effect of class size on achievement. The new data also reveal substantial enrollment sorting near Maimonides cutoffs, with too many schools having enrollment values that just barely produce an extra class. A modified rule that uses data on students’ birthdays to compute statutory enrollment in the absence of enrollment manipulation also generates a precisely estimated zero. In older data, the original Maimonides Rule is unrelated to socioeconomic characteristics, while in more recent data, the original rule is unrelated to socioeconomic characteristics conditional on a few controls. Enrollment manipulation therefore appears to be innocuous: neither the original negative effects nor the recent data zeros seem likely to be manipulation artifacts.
"A New Horizon? The Effect of Education Reform on Students Achievements and the
Academic Environment in Israeli Schools" (Joint with Yaniv Reingewertz)
Abstract:
This study analyzes the effect of the New Horizon educational reform on student achievements and on
the academic environment in schools. New Horizon is a broad-based national reform initiated by the
Ministry of Education and gradually implemented in elementary and lower-secondary schools in Israel
beginning in 2008. The main elements of the reform are an increase in the time teachers spend in school,
additional small-group instruction time (individual hours), an increase in teachers and principals salaries
and posing higher requirements and incentives for professional development. We use a
difference-indifferences (DID) approach to evaluate the effects of the reform on a multitude of outcomes
related to student achievements and to measures of school academic environment. We nd that in the short run,
about two years after it was rst implemented, the New Horizon reform has increased student test scores,
mainly in math and English. In addition, the reform has improved a number of the school-learning
environments attributes. We also find that the reform has had no effect on school violence and on the
general level of students satisfaction with school. Furthermore, we explore how specific components of
the reform are related to our findings.