| Title: | A Randomized Experiment Using Absenteeism Information to "Nudge" Attendance |
| Description: | Can a single postcard sent to guardians help reduce student absenteeism? This randomized controlled trial, conducted in collaboration with the School District of Philadelphia, shows that: (a) a single mail piece that encouraged guardians to improve their student's attendance reduced absences by roughly 2.4 percentage points; (b) there were no statistically significant differences between two types of messages in reducing student absences; and (c) the effect of the single mailing did not differ for students in grades K–8 versus students in grades 9–12. |
| Online Availability: |
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| Cover Date: | February 2017 |
| Web Release: | February 7, 2017 |
| Print Release: | February 7, 2017 |
| Publication #: | REL 2017252 General Ordering Information |
| Center/Program: | REL |
| Associated Centers: | NCEE |
| Authors: | Todd Rogers: Harvard Kennedy School; Teresa Duncan: ICF International; Tonya Wolford: School District of Philadelphia; John Ternovski and Shruthi Subramanyam: Harvard Kennedy School; Adrienne Reitano: School District of Philadelphia |
| Type of Product: | Impact Study |
| Keywords: | |
| Questions: |
For questions about the content of this Impact Study, please contact: Amy Johnson. |