Author(s)
Francesco Agostinelli
Ciro Avitable
Matteo Bobba

This paper provides novel insights into the science of scaling by examining an educational mentoring program in Mexico. Our analysis encompasses two separate field experiments, and takes advantage of a unique opportunity to learn from the government's implementation of the program on a large scale. While the originally implemented program at scale demonstrates limited effectiveness, the introduction of a new modality with enhanced mentor training significantly improves children's outcomes. This improvement is observed in both the field experiment and the subsequent large-scale government adoption. We also find that the new program's enhanced mentor-parent interactions stimulate parental engagement at the community-school level, which emerges as a critical factor in facilitating the program's scalability.

Publication Type
Working Paper
File Description
Third version, June 21, 2023
JEL Codes
C90: Design of Experiments: General
C93: Field Experiments
D02: Institutions: Design; Formation; and Operations
I30: Welfare and Poverty: General
J10: Demographic Economics: General
Keywords
childrens skills
parental investments
community engagement
science of scaling