Optimal School System and Curriculum Design: Theory and Evidence. Working Paper 34091
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| Title: | Optimal School System and Curriculum Design: Theory and Evidence. Working Paper 34091 |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Glenn Ellison, Parag A. Pathak, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) |
| Source: | National Bureau of Economic Research. 2025. |
| Availability: | National Bureau of Economic Research. 1050 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-5398. Tel: 617-588-0343; Web site: http://www.nber.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Evaluative |
| Descriptors: | Curriculum Design, Time Management, Schools, School Effectiveness, Models, Selective Admission, Skill Development |
| Abstract: | This paper develops a model of education production and uses it to study optimal school system and curriculum design. Curriculum design is modeled as a time-allocation problem. A school teaches students many skills and allocates time to different skills based on student characteristics. Our framework provides a novel interpretation of studies that find zero achievement effects at selective school admission cutoffs. We show that such findings may be consistent with highly effective schools implementing optimal curricula, rather than necessarily indicating ineffective schools. The interpretation depends on the alignment between measured outcome skills and skills emphasized in the curriculum. We test several model predictions using data from a prominent exam school and find supporting evidence that would be difficult to rationalize if selective schools were ineffective. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Access URL: | https://www.nber.org/papers/w34091 |
| Accession Number: | ED676519 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: eric DbLabel: ERIC An: ED676519 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Report PubTypeId: report PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Optimal School System and Curriculum Design: Theory and Evidence. Working Paper 34091 – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Glenn+Ellison%22">Glenn Ellison</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Parag+A%2E+Pathak%22">Parag A. Pathak</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22National+Bureau+of+Economic+Research+%28NBER%29%22">National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22National+Bureau+of+Economic+Research%22"><i>National Bureau of Economic Research</i></searchLink>. 2025. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: National Bureau of Economic Research. 1050 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-5398. Tel: 617-588-0343; Web site: http://www.nber.org – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: N – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Reports - Evaluative – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Curriculum+Design%22">Curriculum Design</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Time+Management%22">Time Management</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Schools%22">Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Effectiveness%22">School Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Models%22">Models</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Selective+Admission%22">Selective Admission</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Skill+Development%22">Skill Development</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: This paper develops a model of education production and uses it to study optimal school system and curriculum design. Curriculum design is modeled as a time-allocation problem. A school teaches students many skills and allocates time to different skills based on student characteristics. Our framework provides a novel interpretation of studies that find zero achievement effects at selective school admission cutoffs. We show that such findings may be consistent with highly effective schools implementing optimal curricula, rather than necessarily indicating ineffective schools. The interpretation depends on the alignment between measured outcome skills and skills emphasized in the curriculum. We test several model predictions using data from a prominent exam school and find supporting evidence that would be difficult to rationalize if selective schools were ineffective. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: URL Label: Access URL Group: URL Data: <link linkTarget="URL" linkTerm="https://www.nber.org/papers/w34091" linkWindow="_blank">https://www.nber.org/papers/w34091</link> – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: ED676519 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED676519 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Text: English Subjects: – SubjectFull: Curriculum Design Type: general – SubjectFull: Time Management Type: general – SubjectFull: Schools Type: general – SubjectFull: School Effectiveness Type: general – SubjectFull: Models Type: general – SubjectFull: Selective Admission Type: general – SubjectFull: Skill Development Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Optimal School System and Curriculum Design: Theory and Evidence. Working Paper 34091 Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Glenn Ellison – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Parag A. Pathak IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 08 Type: published Y: 2025 Titles: – TitleFull: National Bureau of Economic Research Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
