When Information is Not Enough: Evidence from a Centralized School Choice System
In this project, Willa Friedman, Kehinde Ajayi, and Adrienne Lucas studied how information provision can change secondary school choices among students in 900 schools in Ashanti, Ghana.
Secondary school completion opens up many successful paths for students in Ghana, but many students never enroll or drop out. Parents reported that more information could help families make careful choices about where and how to apply, so their children can find high-quality schools to attend. We designed and distributed a booklet and video about the secondary school application process in a randomly selected set of schools to measure how greater information could change families’ education investment decisions.
Students in Ghanaian Junior Secondary Schools apply to Senior High Schools (SHS) by submitting a list of their four top choices. The Computerized Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) uses these choices and their scores on the primary school leaving exam to assign students to schools. Unfortunately, students lack basic information about their options and application strategies while making these choices.
Through this project, students in 600 treatment schools received a booklet that listed
all schools in Ashanti region, the largest region in Ghana, along with information
about each school, including previous admissions thresholds, the fraction of students
who completed secondary school, and the location. These students were also shown a
dramatized video that explained the application and selection process, and they had
a chance to ask questions. In half of these treatment schools, parents were also invited
to a workshop and shown the video and booklets and given a chance to ask questions.
We collected numerous surveys and administrative school records for students in these
600 schools and another 300 comparison schools.
For more information on the program, see summary from partner IPA and funder JPAL.
The Importance of Information Targeting for School Choice
When Information is Not Enough: Evidence from a Centralized School Choice System
