Cash Transfers and Parental Investments: Evidence from Bolsa Familia Program
Solo Authored - [Draft available upon request]
Abstract: This paper examines whether Conditional Cash Transfer programs can impact parental involvement in children’s education, a key factor in human capital accumulation. This impact has not been previously studied in the literature. I study this question in the context of Brazil’s Bolsa Familia Program, the largest CCT in the world. Exploiting an exogenous expansion and a methodological change in the allocation rule of the new slots to municipalities, I first estimate the impacts of increased exposure to the program using a difference-in-differences approach. Drawing on administrative educational data from São Paulo state, I find that the Bolsa Familia expansion enhanced parental supervision of children's school-related tasks, but it does not seem to impact parental attendance in school activities. These behavioral changes seem to be associated with measurable improvements in children's performance at school.
Presentations: Novafrica Conference on Economic Development (Lisbon)*; Leuven Economics of Education Research Conference (KU Leuven)*; CESifo Junior Workshop on Economics of Education (Munich)*; Lisbon Micro Group (ISEG, Lisbon); Nova SBE Ph.D. Seminar (Lisbon).
Does Financial Education Impact School Attainment? Experimental Evidence from Brazil
with Ricardo A. Madeira (University of São Paulo) and Victor G. Vaccaro (Insper) [latest version] - Submitted
Abstract: Can an applied mathematics curriculum enhance student intrinsic motivation and improve math achievement? We tackle this question through a randomized control trial of a program that integrates financial education into the mathematics curriculum in Brazil. Spanning 190 public schools and over 15,000 students, our study reveals that the program significantly boosts students’ interest in mathematics and enhances financial literacy and math performance, particularly among students from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds. Initially, the program strengthens these students’ internal locus of control and broad interest in mathematics during the first year. By the second year’s conclusion, it positively impacts their financial literacy, math proficiency, and specific socio-emotional skills crucial for the labor market. However, we do not observe significant changes in self-reported financial behaviors or attitudes as measured by a financial autonomy index.
Presented at: LACEA-LAMES Annual Meeting (Montevideo); Novafrica Conference on Economic Development (Lisbon); KU Leuven & European Commission Conference on Financial Education (Brussels); Brazilian Econometric Society Annual Meeting (Rio de Janeiro); UCL Ph.D. Seminar (London); Nova SBE Ph.D. Seminar (Lisbon); Insper Ph.D. Seminar (São Paulo).
Turning the Classroom Around: The Effects of Active Learning Training on Teacher Mindset
with Ricardo A. Madeira (University of São Paulo) and Victor G. Vaccaro (Insper) - [Draft available upon request]
Can Federal Transfers Improve Learning Outcomes? Evidence from Exogenous Spending Variation in Brazilian Municipalities
with Anastasiya Yarygina (Inter-American Development Bank) - [Draft available upon request]