Paper · Working Paper · IDB Working Paper Series · 2022

Can Information on School Attributes and Placement Probabilities Direct Search and Choice? Evidence from Choice Platforms in Ecuador and Peru

Peru, Ecuador
Field Atlas · 2021

Tacna and Manta, drawn to one scale

The two school markets in the study. Indigo marks where schools cluster.

Cyanotype map of Tacna, Peru: the city runs northeast to southwest along the Caplina river, indigo blocks where schools cluster in the centre and a dot for each school
Tacna, Peru 18.01°S · 70.25°W
Cyanotype map of Manta, Ecuador: the city spreads along the Pacific coast with Montecristi inland to the southeast, indigo blocks where schools cluster and a dot for each school
Manta, Ecuador 0.95°S · 80.72°W

City blocks and streets from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) and the 2022 INEC census (Manta); school locations from the public school registries. Dark indigo dots are the public schools on the 2021 centralized admission platform; sepia dots are schools outside it, almost all private. Both plates share one scale.

Abstract

This paper evaluates how new information influences families' applications and assignment outcomes in elementary school choice settings. Using a multi-country randomized controlled trial based in Tacna, Peru, and Manta, Ecuador, the authors study the effects of providing personalized feedback on school placement risk and school suggestions. The results show that in Peru, applicants who received this information added more schools and were more likely to include recommended options, improving their application portfolios. In Ecuador, the intervention had marginal effects, possibly due to lower school density and lack of outreach via WhatsApp. The findings highlight the importance of context and communication channels in shaping school choice behavior.

Citation & BibTeX

Felipe Arteaga, Gregory Elacqua, Thomas Krussig, Carolina Méndez, Christopher A. Neilson, "Can Information on School Attributes and Placement Probabilities Direct Search and Choice? Evidence from Choice Platforms in Ecuador and Peru", IDB Working Paper Series, 2022.