Working Papers:

Recruiting better teachers? Evidence from a higher education reform in Chile [ssrn]

(joint with Adriano De Falco & Benjamin Hattemer)

Abstract: This paper analyzes the impact of a recruitment policy aimed at improving the quality of new teachers. The reform introduced a scholarship to incentivize the enrollment of high-achieving high school graduates in teacher training programs and imposed enrollment restrictions on low-achieving high school graduates. The screening device used to define achievement was the national standardized university entry exam. Using rich administrative data, we document that the reform was effective in improving the average test scores of new teachers, especially in public schools. To assess the impact of the reform on teacher quality, we construct teacher value-added (TVA) measures based on standardized test scores of their pupils. We find that the reform led to a significant increase in the TVA of mathematics teachers, equivalent to 30\% of a standard deviation. However, it did not affect the average TVA of Spanish teachers. We show that this heterogeneity can be explained by differences in the correlation of test scores and teacher quality across subjects. Finally, we show that only one-third of the increase in teacher quality can be explained by the change in ability composition, and the remainder can be attributed to beneficial but unintended effects of the reform.

Presented at: 8th LEER conference, 1st CESifo/ifo Junior Workshop on the Economcis of Education, EALE 2023, SAEe 2023, AIEL-UNIPD workshop on the Economics of Human Capital 2024, EAYE Annual Meeting 2024, 6th QMUL Economics and Finance Workshop, BSE Summer Forum 2024, XVI Labour Economics Meeting.

Prizes: Luis Toharia Grant for young researchers in Labour Economics.

What would you do with £500? (…in your own words) [ifs working paper]

(joint with Thomas F. Crossley & Peter Levell)

Abstract: A longstanding puzzle in macroeconomics is why individuals with similar levels of available liquidity can have very different marginal propensities to consume (MPCs). We use a new approach to better investigate differences in consumer behaviour in response to hypothetical, one-off gains and losses: using open-ended questions and text analysis to understand the motives underlying consumers decisions. High-liquidity individuals with high MPCs often cite mental accounting motives. Apparently illiquid individuals report a range of coping mechanisms in response to a loss, including labour supply responses, relying on friends and family and selling possessions. This implies greater effective liquidity than narrow financial measures indicate. 

Other work in progress:

Can money buy a better home environment? Evidence from US tax credits [Extended Abstract]

Abstract: This paper analyses the impact of exogenous changes in household income on the physical and emotional environment experienced by children in low-income households. Using data from the Panel Survey of Income Dynamics and leveraging expansions within two of the largest tax credits in the United States, I explore three fundamental aspects of household environments: the physical space, the emotional dynamics, and time-related family interactions. Using an instrumental variables approach, I find evidence that higher income due to tax credit adjustments increases the likelihood of children moving to larger, less crowded homes, thereby improving their physical living conditions. Furthermore, I document positive effects on the emotional environment experienced by children, measured by levels of conflict and affection within the household. Finally, I find evidence of an increase in the time that children spend with adults, primarily driven by a shift from time spent unsupervised to time spent with non-family members, such as nannies or neighbours.

Presented at: PSID Annual User Conference 2023 

Earned Income Tax Credit generosity and Food Stamp program participation

(joint with Noura Insolera)

Abstract: The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly know as the Food Stamps program, are two of the largest safety net programs in the United States. While extensive research has been conducted on the individual effects of these programs, limited attention has been given to understanding their interaction and potential combined effects. This paper seeks to address this gap in the literature by examining the interplay between the EITC and SNAP.

The spillovers of disability on peers’ education

(joint with Massimo Anelli, Nicoletta Balbo & Alice Dominici)