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...

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Main Authors: Dinarte Diaz, Lelys, Ferreyra, Maria Marta, Urzua, Sergio, Bassi, Marina
Format: Working Paper
Language:English
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2021
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
id okr-10986-35893
recordtype oai_dc
spelling okr-10986-358932021-07-02T05:10:59Z What Makes a Program Good? Evidence from Short-Cycle Higher Education Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean Dinarte Diaz, Lelys Ferreyra, Maria Marta Urzua, Sergio Bassi, Marina TERTIARY EDUCATION SHORT-CYCLE DEGREE EDUCATION QUALITY SKILLS DEVELOPMENT 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. 2021-07-01T15:00:31Z 2021-07-01T15:00:31Z 2021-06 Working Paper 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 English Policy Research Working Paper;No. 9722 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Latin America & Caribbean Ecuador
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
topic TERTIARY EDUCATION
SHORT-CYCLE DEGREE
EDUCATION QUALITY
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
spellingShingle TERTIARY EDUCATION
SHORT-CYCLE DEGREE
EDUCATION QUALITY
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Dinarte Diaz, Lelys
Ferreyra, Maria Marta
Urzua, Sergio
Bassi, Marina
What Makes a Program Good? Evidence from Short-Cycle Higher Education Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean
geographic_facet Latin America & Caribbean
Ecuador
relation Policy Research Working Paper;No. 9722
description 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.
format Working Paper
author Dinarte Diaz, Lelys
Ferreyra, Maria Marta
Urzua, Sergio
Bassi, Marina
author_facet Dinarte Diaz, Lelys
Ferreyra, Maria Marta
Urzua, Sergio
Bassi, Marina
author_sort Dinarte Diaz, Lelys
title What Makes a Program Good? Evidence from Short-Cycle Higher Education Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean
title_short What Makes a Program Good? Evidence from Short-Cycle Higher Education Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean
title_full What Makes a Program Good? Evidence from Short-Cycle Higher Education Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean
title_fullStr What Makes a Program Good? Evidence from Short-Cycle Higher Education Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean
title_full_unstemmed What Makes a Program Good? Evidence from Short-Cycle Higher Education Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean
title_sort what makes a program good? evidence from short-cycle higher education programs in latin america and the caribbean
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2021
url 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
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