Field Research Positions
28 May to 8 July 2011
Improving education through the power of incentives
The Escalera Research Group (ERG) is looking for dynamic students to assist in the endline evaluation of a yearlong randomized control trial to measure the effect of merit-based student incentives in Chiapas, Mexico. From May 28 to July 8, field researchers will conduct a parent-teacher survey and student achievement test in 135 rural villages in Chiapas. The results of the study will be used in a final report for the State Education Secretary of Chiapas.
Escalera is improving education in remote village schools in partnership with the Chiapas state government, and is recruiting highly motivated individuals to support ground level operations in Chiapas, Mexico.
The field research will provide interns the opportunity to obtain hands-on experience in working in marginalized communities and conducting a randomized control trial (RCT), the gold standard of measuring the effectiveness of development programs. Interns will be an integral part of a research team on a project that aims to improve the quality and coverage of education to all the indigenous areas of Chiapas, Mexico.
Project Description
The Escalera Research Group is a donor-funded academic research team working on a set of innovative solutions to two key issues in Mexican educational policy: low student achievement and low transition rates from middle to high school. Programa ESTRELLAS, conducted in cooperation with Foundation Escalera and the government of Chiapas, investigates the power of student incentives in rural schools in indigenous areas using a randomized controlled trial (RCT). The project is the first of its kind in Latin America and results will directly shape policy in the state of Chiapas.
The pilot study uses a baseline sample of 135 middle schools with the lowest human development scores in Mexico as an experimental group to test two policy interventions. The first intervention informs and trains parent committees to participate in school planning. The second intervention rewards academic achievement with monetary rewards for ninth graders and non-monetary prizes for seventh and eighth graders throughout the school year.
Applicant Qualifications
Successful candidates will have:
- Previous work or volunteer experience with NGOs or community groups in developing world contexts, demonstrated leadership capacity, organizational skills and a strong interest in Mexico
- Experience or knowledge of mixed method research strategies
- Experience or knowledge of mixed method research strategies (Excel, Stata)
- Working knowledge of statistics
- Conversational Spanish
If you would like to be considered for the research position, please submit the following documents to andrew@escalera.org by Tuesday, April 5:
- Copy of Resume/CV
- Short statement (up to 500 words) describing your interest in the program, how you meet the selection criteria, and how this field research trip would benefit you and those you work with.
Costs and Arrangements
Foundation Escalera will provide lodging and in-country transport for field researchers in Mexico. All other costs – including airfare to and from Mexico, visas, food expenditures, travel/medical insurance and personal costs – are the responsibility of the intern.
Interviews will take place on Friday and Saturday April 8 and 9, 2011. Escalera will inform all applicants of the final outcome of their application by Monday, April 11.
