New Study by Mixon Examines Academic Performance of Public School Students in Brazil

A new study by Turner College economist Frank Mixon and researchers from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Florida Atlantic University examines the academic performance of students in Brazil's public primary school system, focusing on variations in the different impacts of environmental conditions on school outcomes across both high- and low-performing schools, as well as across both urban and rural settings. In conducting the study Mixon and his colleagues analyze data on academic performance from 35,490 schools, of which 30,385 reside in urban centers and 5,105 are located in rural areas. Results from the analysis suggest that school complexity, as measured by the number of grade levels served and school shifts offered, impedes academic performance within a school. Thus, where resources allow, decentralization of school levels into smaller units can contribute to better results, particularly in the case of rural schools, which tend to be more complex. Next, the positive impact of the socioeconomic characteristics of the household (e.g., parents’ education and household income) on academic performance is found by Mixon et al. to be greater in urban settings than in rural settings. Lastly, among several other empirical findings is one indicating that teachers' human capital is an important driver of academic performance across both urban and rural schools. The study is scheduled to appear in a future issue of Evaluation Review, which is published by SAGE. According to the journal's website, it focuses on rigorous evaluation of public programs and policies across a range of types of evaluation (process, implementation, impact), policy areas, and academic disciplines, all to foster evidence-based policy.