Applied Micro Seminar presented by Giuseppe Sorrenti (University of Zurich)

Abstract: We study the long-term effects of a randomized control trial targeting socio-emotional skills in 8-year-old primary school children. The teacher-implemented, school-based intervention running for up to two years leads to a persistent boost of educational careers that remains visible over a decade after the intervention. Treated children become 22 percent more likely to complete academic high school, the highest secondary school track in Switzerland, and are 20 percent more likely to enroll in university at age 20. Our analysis of mechanisms suggests that the intervention affected externalizing behavior and reduced students impulsiveness and disruptiveness (ADHD) in the classroom.