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Browse news articles about J-PAL and our affiliated professors, and read our press releases and monthly global and research newsletters. For media inquiries, please email us.

Boosting Academic Performance through Individualized Tutoring in Chicago Public High Schools

Roseanna Ander
Philip J. Cook
Kenneth Dodge
George Farkas
Harold Pollack
Laurence Steinberg
In Chicago, researchers evaluated an intensive two-on-one math tutoring program for 9th and 10th grade male students in public schools to assess the effectiveness of individualized instruction. Students who were randomly assigned to tutoring scored higher on math exams, earned better grades in math...

The Effects of Student Coaching in the United States

Rachel Baker
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the effectiveness of providing individualized coaching to university students on their persistence in university courses. Students who were assigned to a coach were more likely to persist in university.

The Impact of Pre‐Arraignment Legal Representation on Pretrial Release and Criminal Case Outcomes in Santa Clara County, California

Brett Fischer
Johanna Lacoe
Researchers evaluated the impact of the Pre-Arraignment Representation and Review (PARR) model on pretrial release and case outcomes. The findings showed that early access to public defenders increased both the likelihood and speed of pretrial release and improved case outcomes, including a lower...

Graduating the Ultra-Poor in Ghana

Nathanael Goldberg
Jeremy Shapiro
Bram Thuysbaert
Hannah Trachtman
Researchers evaluated a multi-faceted approach aimed at improving the long-term incomes of the ultra-poor. They found that the approach had long-lasting economic and self-employment impacts and that the long-run benefits, measured in terms of household expenditures, outweighed their up-front costs.

E-mail Reminders for Prescription Monitoring Program Usage Among Clinicians in the United States

Tatyana Avilova
Weston Merrick
Ian Williamson
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation to test the impact of e-mail reminders on clinicians' engagement with PMPs and their prescribing behavior. The e-mail reminders—particularly those focused on legal requirements—increased PMP usage, but had no effect on prescribing behavior.

Decentralized Pricing for Public Services: Evidence from Tanzania

Florian Blum
Researchers introduced a price regulation on poultry vaccines in Tanzania to evaluate the impact of reducing service providers’ discretion over prices on the number of recipients served, prices charged, and the overall welfare of beneficiaries. The price-cap reduced the average price of vaccinations...

Using Technology to Promote Electoral Participation in South Africa

Karen Ferree
Clark Gibson
Danielle Jung
James Long
Researchers conducted a randomized evaluation of the VIP:Voice, a digital election participation platform, to measure the impact of information and communications technologies on individuals’ political participation. Via the platform, researchers interacted with nearly 100,000 citizens, recruited...

The Effects of Reciprocity in Voter Mobilization Calls on Voter Turnout in the United States

Albert Fang
Gregory A. Huber
Catlan Reardon
Researchers evaluated the role of reciprocity in increasing voter turnout through voter mobilization calls by varying whether an initial phone call included a plausible sign of good will by the campaign—an offer to follow up reminding them to vote.