Impacts of a full-time school program on learning, school’s composition and infrastructure: The case of public schools in the state of São Paulo - Brazil

Abstract

This article assesses the impact of the Programa de Educação Integral (PEI) implemented in the state of São Paulo (Brazil) on test scores and school characteristics. Using difference-in-differences and leads and lags methods, we found positive and significant effects of the program on performance in Mathematics (0.469 standard deviations) and Portuguese (0.462 standard deviations) for ninth grade students. The impact is greater if the school receives the program for a longer time. Also, the program reduced the disparities of scores within schools. We also identified that participant schools undergo changes in their infrastructure and students’ socioeconomic profile.