Timing of Evaluations and Duration of Exposure Affect Estimates of Program Impact
Spring 2009  Impact evaluations often ignore the importance of timing and duration.  This study cautions that evaluations need to be timed right in order to ensure that impacts are adequately captured. It also argues that duration of exposure can be exploited as a means to measure impacts.
Research Digest (non-technical)

No More Cutting Class?
Spring 2009   Creating the right incentives can reduce high rates of absence among teachers—and thus improve learning by students. This study emphasizes the need to (1) recognize the importance of teachers' effort—rather than just their skills; (2) accurately and independently measure attendance; and (3) be willing to experiment and evaluate with approaches to incentives. The most promising approaches improve teachers’ day-to-day incentives—which just raising base salaries does not do.
Research Digest (non-technical) 

The Preference for Sons Does Not Always Decrease with Development
February 12, 2009  New evidence suggests development does not reduce parental preference for sons over daughters in countries where such a preference exists. Indeed, modernization may be associated with higher, not lower, son preference in some areas.
Research Brief (technical)

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