The Effects of "Girl-Friendly" Schools: Evidence from the Bright School Construction Program in Burkina Faso

77 Pages Posted: 26 May 2012 Last revised: 2 Jul 2023

See all articles by Harounan Kazianga

Harounan Kazianga

Oklahoma State University - Stillwater

Dan Levy

Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS)

Leigh L. Linden

The University of Texas at Austin; National Bureau of Economic Research; Jameel Poverty Action Lab; Innovations for Poverty Action; Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA); Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD)

Matthew Sloan

Mathematica Policy Research, Washington, DC

Date Written: May 2012

Abstract

We evaluate the causal effects of a program that constructed high quality "girl-friendly" primary schools in Burkina Faso, using a regression discontinuity design 2.5 years after the program started. We find that the program increased enrollment of all children between the ages of 5 and 12 by 20 percentage points and increased their test scores by 0.45 standard deviations. The change in test scores for those children caused to attend school by the program is 2.2 standard deviations. We also find that the program was particularly effective for girls, increasing their enrollment rate by 5 percentage points more than boys', although this did not translate into a differential effect on test scores. Disentangling the effects of school access from the unique characteristics of the new schools, we find that the unique characteristics were responsible for a 13 percentage point increase in enrollment and 0.35 standard deviations in test scores, while simply providing a school increased enrollment by 26.5 percentage points and test scores by 0.323 standard deviations. The unique characteristics of the school account for the entire difference in the treatment effect by gender.

Suggested Citation

Kazianga, Harounan and Levy, Dan and Linden, Leigh L. and Sloan, Matthew, The Effects of "Girl-Friendly" Schools: Evidence from the Bright School Construction Program in Burkina Faso (May 2012). NBER Working Paper No. w18115, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2066960

Harounan Kazianga (Contact Author)

Oklahoma State University - Stillwater ( email )

Stillwater, OK 74078-0555
United States

Dan Levy

Harvard University - Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) ( email )

79 John F. Kennedy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Leigh L. Linden

The University of Texas at Austin ( email )

Austin, TX 78712
United States
+1 (512) 475-8556 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.leighlinden.com

National Bureau of Economic Research ( email )

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.leighlinden.com

Jameel Poverty Action Lab ( email )

30 Wadsworth Street, E53-320
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02142
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.leighlinden.com

Innovations for Poverty Action ( email )

1731 Connecticut Ave, 4th floor
New Haven, CT 20009
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.leighlinden.com

Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) ( email )

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD) ( email )

Duke University
Durham, NC 90097
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.leighlinden.com

Matthew Sloan

Mathematica Policy Research, Washington, DC ( email )

1100 1st Street, NE, 12th Floor
Washington, DC 20002-4221
United States

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