How evaluation was used for Pilots EMAs (original) (raw)
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This essay critically evaluates the implementation and effects of the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) pilot program in the UK, established to increase educational engagement among youths aged 16-19 through conditional cash transfers. The analysis emphasizes the policy's origins as a transfer from a successful Australian program, its quasi-experimental design that facilitated effective evaluations, and the role of political support in shaping EMA's impact on public policy. Highlights include the program's ability to garner more attention and resources, demonstrating that the political climate and administrative receptiveness can significantly influence the efficacy of policy evaluations.
Related papers
Education Maintenance Allowance: the first two years: a quantitative evaluation
2002
The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) has commissioned a longitudinal evaluation of the piloting of Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs). The evaluation is being undertaken by a consortium of research organisations, led by the Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) and also includes the National Centre for Social Research, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and the Institute for
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2000
The views expressed in this report are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department for Education and Skills. © Queen's Printer and Controller of HMSO 2003. Published with the permission of DfES on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Applications for reproduction should be made in writing to The Crown Copyright Unit, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, St Clements House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQ. ISBN 1 84478 153 4
This paper evaluates whether a means tested grants paid to secondary students are an effective way of reducing the proportion of school drop-outs. We look at this problem using matching techniques on a pilot study carried out in England during 1999 and 2000 using a specially designed dataset that ensures that valid comparisons between our pilot and control areas are made. The impact of the subsidy is quite substantial with initial participation rates (at age 16) being around 4.5 percentage points higher. Full-time participation rates one year later are found to have increased by around 6.4 percentage points which is largely due to the EMA having a significant effect on retention in post compulsory education, particularly for boys. These effects vary by eligibility group with those receiving the full payment having the largest initial increase in participation, whilst the effects for those who are partially eligible are only significantly different from the control group in the second year of the program. There is some evidence that participation effect is stronger for boys, especially in the second year, and that the policy goes some way to reducing the gap in drop-out rates between boys and girls. It is also clear that the policy has the largest impact on children from the poorest socio-economic background.
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