We present evidence that the positive relationship between kindergarten entrance age and school achievement primarily reflects skill accumulation prior to kindergarten, rather than a heightened ability to learn in school among older children. The association between achievement test scores and...

Several previous studies have relied on religious affiliation and the proximity to Catholic schools as exogenous sources of variation for identifying the effect of Catholic schooling on a wide variety of outcomes. Using three separate approaches, we examine the validity of these instrumental...

Past empirical findings indicate that children’s health problems reduce married mothers’ employment but are inconclusive in the case of female heads. These studies use diverse disability definitions, samples, and specifications. This paper uses pooled SIPP panels to investigate the impact of...