This website uses cookies.

By clicking the "Accept" button or continuing to browse our site, you agree to first-party and session-only cookies being stored on your device to enhance site navigation and analyze site performance and traffic. For more information on our use of cookies, please see our Privacy Policy.

  1. Home
  2. Journals
  3. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
  4. August 2011
  5. A's from Zzzz's? The Causal Effect of School Start Time on the Academic Achievement of Adolescents

A's from Zzzz's? The Causal Effect of School Start Time on the Academic Achievement of Adolescents

  • Scott E. Carrell
  • Teny Maghakian
  • James E. West
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
vol. 3, no. 3, August 2011
(pp. 62-81)
Download Full Text PDF
(Complimentary)

Abstract

Recent sleep research finds that many adolescents are sleep-deprived because of both early school start times and changing sleep patterns during the teen years. This study identifies the causal effect of school start time on academic achievement by using two policy changes in the daily schedule at the US Air Force Academy along with the randomized placement of freshman students to courses and instructors. Results show that starting the school day 50 minutes later has a significant positive effect on student achievement, which is roughly equivalent to raising teacher quality by one standard deviation. (JEL I23, J13)

Citation

Carrell, Scott E., Teny Maghakian, and James E. West. 2011. "A's from Zzzz's? The Causal Effect of School Start Time on the Academic Achievement of Adolescents." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 3 (3): 62-81. DOI: 10.1257/pol.3.3.62

Additional Materials

JEL Classification

  • I23 Higher Education and Research Institutions
  • J13 Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
There are no comments for this article.
Login to Comment