The long-run economic consequences of high- stakes examinations: Evidence from transitory variation in pollution

Avraham Ebenstein; Victor Lavy; Sefi Roth

doi:10.1257/app.20150213

The long-run economic consequences of high- stakes examinations: Evidence from transitory variation in pollution

Avraham Ebenstein, Victor Lavy, Sefi Roth

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Cognitive performance during high- stakes exams can be affected by random disturbances that, even if transitory, may have permanent consequences. We evaluate this hypothesis among Israeli students who took a series of matriculation exams between 2000 and 2002. Exploiting variation across the same student taking multiple exams, we find that transitory PM_2.5 exposure is associated with a significant decline in student performance. We then examine these students in 2010 and find that PM_2.5 exposure during exams is negatively associated with postsecondary educational attainment and earnings. The results highlight how reliance on noisy signals of student quality can lead to allocative inefficiency.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	36-65
Number of pages	30
Journal	American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
Volume	8
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20150213
State	Published - 2016

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Economics,Econometrics and Finance

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10.1257/app.20150213

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title = "The long-run economic consequences of high- stakes examinations: Evidence from transitory variation in pollution",

abstract = "Cognitive performance during high- stakes exams can be affected by random disturbances that, even if transitory, may have permanent consequences. We evaluate this hypothesis among Israeli students who took a series of matriculation exams between 2000 and 2002. Exploiting variation across the same student taking multiple exams, we find that transitory PM2.5 exposure is associated with a significant decline in student performance. We then examine these students in 2010 and find that PM2.5 exposure during exams is negatively associated with postsecondary educational attainment and earnings. The results highlight how reliance on noisy signals of student quality can lead to allocative inefficiency.",

author = "Avraham Ebenstein and Victor Lavy and Sefi Roth",

note = "Funding Information: We thank Israel's National Insurance Institute (NII) for allowing restricted access to data in the NII protected research lab. Research of the second author is supported by European Research Council (ERC) Advance Grant No. 323439. The authors declare that they have no relevant or material financial interests that relate to the research described in the paper.",

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doi = "10.1257/app.20150213",

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T2 - Evidence from transitory variation in pollution

AU - Ebenstein, Avraham

AU - Lavy, Victor

AU - Roth, Sefi

N1 - Funding Information: We thank Israel's National Insurance Institute (NII) for allowing restricted access to data in the NII protected research lab. Research of the second author is supported by European Research Council (ERC) Advance Grant No. 323439. The authors declare that they have no relevant or material financial interests that relate to the research described in the paper.

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - Cognitive performance during high- stakes exams can be affected by random disturbances that, even if transitory, may have permanent consequences. We evaluate this hypothesis among Israeli students who took a series of matriculation exams between 2000 and 2002. Exploiting variation across the same student taking multiple exams, we find that transitory PM2.5 exposure is associated with a significant decline in student performance. We then examine these students in 2010 and find that PM2.5 exposure during exams is negatively associated with postsecondary educational attainment and earnings. The results highlight how reliance on noisy signals of student quality can lead to allocative inefficiency.

AB - Cognitive performance during high- stakes exams can be affected by random disturbances that, even if transitory, may have permanent consequences. We evaluate this hypothesis among Israeli students who took a series of matriculation exams between 2000 and 2002. Exploiting variation across the same student taking multiple exams, we find that transitory PM2.5 exposure is associated with a significant decline in student performance. We then examine these students in 2010 and find that PM2.5 exposure during exams is negatively associated with postsecondary educational attainment and earnings. The results highlight how reliance on noisy signals of student quality can lead to allocative inefficiency.

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DO - 10.1257/app.20150213

M3 - مقالة

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JO - American Economic Journal: Applied Economics

JF - American Economic Journal: Applied Economics

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ER -

The long-run economic consequences of high- stakes examinations: Evidence from transitory variation in pollution

Abstract

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