What Makes a Program Good? Evidence from Short-Cycle Higher Education Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean
This paper explores the relationship between the practices, inputs, and other characteristics of short-cycle higher education programs (SCPs) and their students’ academic and labor market outcomes. A novel survey was designed and conducted to colle...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/462491624980349135/What-Makes-a-Program-Good-Evidence-from-Short-Cycle-Higher-Education-Programs-in-Latin-America-and-the-Caribbean http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35893 |
| Summary: | This paper explores the relationship
between the practices, inputs, and other characteristics of
short-cycle higher education programs (SCPs) and their
students’ academic and labor market outcomes. A novel survey
was designed and conducted to collect program-level
information on quality determinants and program average
outcomes for five countries in Latin America and the
Caribbean. Quality determinants are grouped into the
following categories: curriculum and training,
infrastructure faculty, private sector engagement and job
search assistance, costs and funding, and other practices
related to student admission and institutional governance.
In addition, individual-level data on SCP graduates was
collected for Ecuador and matched to program survey data.
Estimates from pooled survey data for the five countries
indicate that specific quality determinants are positively
associated with academic and labor market outcomes.
Moreover, determinants account for about one-third of the
explained variation in academic outcomes and formal
employment. In contrast, estimates for Ecuador indicate that
labor market outcomes are mostly associated with student and
peer characteristics rather than program quality
determinants. These findings can inform the design and
replication of high-quality SCPs as well as their oversight
and regulation. |
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