RISE Working Paper 19/027 - Can Public Rankings Improve School Performance? Evidence from a Nationwide Reform in Tanzania

In 2013, Tanzania introduced a “Big Results Now in Education” programme that publishes nationwide and within-district school rankings

• From: Department for International Development
• Published: 19 February 2019

• Country: Tanzania
• Document Type: Working Paper
• Theme: Education
• Authors: Cilliers, J., Mbiti, I, Zeitlin, A

Abstract

In 2013, Tanzania introduced “Big Results Now in Education”, a low-stakes accountability program that published both nationwide and within-district school rankings. Using data from the universe of school performance from 2011-2016, we identify the impacts of the reform using a difference-in-differences estimator that exploits the differential pressure exerted on schools at the top and bottom of their re- spective district rankings. We find that BRN improved learning outcomes for schools in the bottom two deciles of their districts. However, the program also led schools to strategically exclude students from the terminal year of primary school.

This research is part of the Research on Improving Systems of Education programme

Citation

Cilliers, J., Mbiti, I. and Zeitlin, A. (2019) Learning Equity Requires More than Equality: Learning Goals and Achievement Gaps between the Rich and the Poor in Five Developing Countries. RISE Working Paper 19/027

Links

Can Public Rankings Improve School Performance? Evidence from a Nationwide Reform in Tanzania

Published 19 February 2019