title: Differential Peer Effects, Student Achievement, and Student Absenteeism: Evidence From a Large-Scale Randomized Experiment.
abstract: Using data from a well-executed randomized experiment, I examine the effects of gender composition and peer achievement on high school students' outcomes in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Results show that having a higher proportion of female peers in the classroom improves girls' math test scores only in less-advanced courses. For male students, the estimated gender peer effects are positive but less precisely estimated. I also find no effect of average classroom achievement on female math test scores. Males, on the other hand, seem to benefit from a higher-achieving classroom. I propose mechanisms relating to lower gender stereotype influences and gender-specific attitudes toward competition as potential explanations for peer effects findings. Finally, having a higher proportion of female students in the classroom decreases student absenteeism among male students but has no impact on female attendance.
authors.affiliation: E. J. Ourso College of Business, Department of Economics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA. oeren@lsu.edu.
authors.forename: Ozkan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Eren
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D010379:Peer Group; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Instrumental variables; Peer effects; Power calculations; Randomized experiment; Teach for America