Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs are increasingly being used through the developing world to reduce inequality, break the intergenerational poverty cycle, and build human capital. These programs vary by country but typically make cash transfers conditional upon children meeting certain healthcare and educational standards. While previous…

This dissertation examines the determinants of student outcomes--achievement, attainment, occupational choices and earnings--in three different contexts. The first two chapters focus on Ghana while the final chapter focuses on the US state of Massachusetts. In the first chapter, I exploit the incidence of famine and malnutrition that resulted to…

The International General Certificate in Secondary Education (IGCSE) has expanded its consumer base from British-led and British-staffed international schools into schools that may not have faculty familiar with this examination. Non-British teachers must adapt their teaching methods to the culture within the curriculum of the IGCSE. However, a…

In developed countries, the evidence on the impact of school type on student performance is mixed. Researchers are also interested in finding out the effect of private school competition on educational outcomes. The evidence on this for developed countries is mixed as well. What is the effect in developing countries? There are not sufficient…

This dissertation focuses on a key challenge facing developing countries intent on enhancing their human capital base--namely, the issue of quality. One of the chapters evaluates the effectiveness of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) initiative in Nepal's primary and lower-secondary schools. Although the OLPC program is being heavily promoted in…

Spelling is a critical component to literacy development. Teachers of American children living overseas as well as adult "Third Culture Kids" (TCKs) have reported that spelling is especially challenging for the TCK population. This study investigated whether a difference existed in TCK spelling achievement compared to U.S. norms, as well…