How is the Bolsa Família program associated with the test scores performance of economically disadvantaged pupils in Brazil?

Abstract

This paper investigates whether the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Bolsa Família improves test scores performance of beneficiary pupils compared to similar disadvantaged pupils who are non-beneficiaries of the program. Prova Brasil (Brazil Exam), Censo Escolar (School Census), and the Attendance System (Sistema Presença) of 2011 are used to answer this question in a Propensity Score Matching design. We find a significant positive association of the Bolsa Família program on test scores in language and mathematics, but the effect is very small: between 2 and 3 of a standard deviation. We also find small heterogeneous effects by region as beneficiary pupils from the richer regions of southeast and south perform, on average, 1 of a standard deviation higher than beneficiary pupils from the poorer north and northeast. This paper extends the scarce literature on the impact of CCTs on test scores performance in the developing world.