Mauricio Romero
Biographic Data
| ID | 3604935 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Mauricio Romero |
| GIVEN NAMES | Mauricio |
| FAMILY NAME | Romero |
| SIGNATURE | ROMERO M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4652-593X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 20 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 17 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2000 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Preface to the IDRiM 2024 Conference Special Issue
Preface to the IDRiM 2024 Conference Special Issue
Factorial Designs, Model Selection, and (Incorrect) Inference in Randomized Experiments
Factorial designs are widely used to study multiple treatments in one experiment. Although t-tests using a fully saturated “long” model provide valid inferences, “short” model t-tests (that ignore interactions) yield higher power if interactions are zero, but incorrect inferences otherwise. Of 27 factorial experiments published in top-five journals (2007–2017), nineteen use the short model. After including interactions, more than half of their re…
The productivity of public and private preschools (and schools): Evidence from India
We study the relative productivity of private and public institutions at the preschool and primary school levels using panel data from 215 villages in Tamil Nadu. Private preschools show higher test score value-added in math and language (∼0.59 − 0.74σ) and outperform government providers in nearly all villages. This productivity difference explains 60% of the socioeconomic test score gap before school entry. These results contrast starkly with p…
Learning losses during the Covid-19 pandemic: Evidence from Mexico
The effect of school grants on test scores: Experimental evidence from Mexico
We use a randomized experiment (across 200 public primary schools in Puebla, Mexico) to study the impact of providing schools with cash grants on student test scores. Treated schools received on average 16 USD per student each year for two years, an increase of 20% in public spending per child, after teacher salaries. Overall, the grants had no impact on student test scores. Lack of a treatment effect does not seem to be driven by poor implementa…
Designing Effective Teacher Performance Pay Programs: Experimental Evidence from Tanzania
We use a nationally representative field experiment in Tanzania to compare two teacher performance pay systems in public primary schools: a ‘pay-for-percentile’ system (a rank-order tournament) and a ‘levels’ system that features multiple proficiency thresholds. Pay for percentile can potentially induce socially optimal effort among teachers, while levels systems can encourage teachers to focus on students near passing thresholds. Despite the the…
Cross-Age Tutoring: Experimental Evidence from Kenya
Tailoring teaching to students’ learning levels can improve learning outcomes in low-income countries. Cross-age tutoring, where older students tutor younger students, is a potential alternative for providing personalized instruction to younger students, though it comes at the cost of the older students’ time. We present results from a large experiment in Kenya in which schools were randomly assigned to implement either an English or a math tutor…
Efectividad de la participación de las víctimas del conflicto armado en el diseño, ejecución y control de las políticas públicas
Con el objetivo de desarrollar este artículo, se partió de su contextualización puesto que concierne a la participación de las víctimas del conflicto armado en Colombia en la Política Pública (Ley 1448 de 2011), por lo que se abordó bajo una óptica universal y general de las políticas públicas, observando con especial cuidado su definición, estructura, fases, intervinientes y contrincantes, como también el modelo secuencial de las mismas, para –d…
Communal Property Rights and Deforestation
Almost a third of the world’s forest area is communally managed. In principle, this arrangement could lead to a ‘tragedy of the commons’ and therefore more deforestation. But it may be easier to monitor outsiders’ deforestation of land owned by a community rather than an individual. We present a theoretical framework to examine these trade-offs and empirically study the effect of communal titling on deforestation in Colombia. Our empirical approa…
Direct vs indirect management training: Experimental evidence from schools in Mexico
Beyond Short-Term Learning Gains: The Impact of Outsourcing Schools in Liberia After Three Years
Outsourcing the management of ninety-three randomly-selected government primary schools in Liberia to eight private operators led to learning gains of 0.18$\sigma$ after one year, but these effects plateaued in subsequent years (reaching 0.2$\sigma$ after three years). Beyond learning gains, the programme reduced corporal punishment (by 4.6 percentage points from a base of 51%), but increased dropout (by 3.3 percentage points from a base of 15%) …
Inputs, Incentives, and Complementarities in Education: Experimental Evidence from Tanzania
We present results from a large-scale randomized experiment across 350 schools in Tanzania that studied the impact of providing schools with (i) unconditional grants, (ii) teacher incentives based on student performance, and (iii) both of the above. After two years, we find (i) no impact on student test scores from providing school grants, (ii) some evidence of positive effects from teacher incentives, and (iii) significant positive effects from …
Misinformation About HIV and Negative Attitudes Toward Homosexuality and Same-Sex Couples’ Rights: The Case of Colombia
The rights of homosexuals and same-sex couples are currently the subject of debate on the public stage and in courtrooms around the world. This debate is often colored by prejudice and misconceptions regarding homosexuality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study investigates the opinions of Colombian women about same-sex couples’ rights and women’s attitudes toward a homosexual child (maternal acceptance). Using a nationall…
Paramilitares y autodefensas, 1982-2003
Reformismo político y reacción paramilitar en Colombia
Los paramilitares o autodefensas han sido asociados en Colombia con el narcotnifico y sus formas de resolución de conflictos, con las estrategias contrainsurgentes de las fuerzas armadas y las tácticas de ‘guerra sucia’ para enfrentar a la guerrilla revolucionaria, con formas parainstitucionales de control de la protesta social por parte de facciones ‘mafiosas’ del capital, o con el crecimiento del latifundio ganadero y el desalojo violento de ca…
Democratización política y contra reforma paramilitar en Colombia
El trabajo analiza el paramilitarismo y las autodefensas en el contexto de democratización iniciada en 1982 con las negociaciones de paz entre gobierno y guerrilla, la apertura política y, luego, la descentralización y la primera elección de alcaldes en 1987. El texto considera la consolidación de esos grupos armados como parte de una confluencia más amplia de oposición a cualquier reforma que redistribuya el poder y la riqueza en el sector rural
Changing Identities and Contested Settings: Regional Elites and the Paramilitaries in Colombia
Changing Identities and Contested Settings: Regional Elites and the Paramilitaries in Colombia
Direct vs indirect management training: Experimental evidence from schools in Mexico
Reformismo político y reacción paramilitar en Colombia
Los paramilitares o autodefensas han sido asociados en Colombia con el narcotnifico y sus formas de resolución de conflictos, con las estrategias contrainsurgentes de las fuerzas armadas y las tácticas de ‘guerra sucia’ para enfrentar a la guerrilla revolucionaria, con formas parainstitucionales de control de la protesta social por parte de facciones ‘mafiosas’ del capital, o con el crecimiento del latifundio ganadero y el desalojo violento de ca…
Misinformation About HIV and Negative Attitudes Toward Homosexuality and Same-Sex Couples’ Rights: The Case of Colombia
The rights of homosexuals and same-sex couples are currently the subject of debate on the public stage and in courtrooms around the world. This debate is often colored by prejudice and misconceptions regarding homosexuality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study investigates the opinions of Colombian women about same-sex couples’ rights and women’s attitudes toward a homosexual child (maternal acceptance). Using a nationall…
Democratización política y contra reforma paramilitar en Colombia
El trabajo analiza el paramilitarismo y las autodefensas en el contexto de democratización iniciada en 1982 con las negociaciones de paz entre gobierno y guerrilla, la apertura política y, luego, la descentralización y la primera elección de alcaldes en 1987. El texto considera la consolidación de esos grupos armados como parte de una confluencia más amplia de oposición a cualquier reforma que redistribuya el poder y la riqueza en el sector rural
Changing Identities and Contested Settings: Regional Elites and the Paramilitaries in Colombia
Reformismo político y reacción paramilitar en Colombia
Los paramilitares o autodefensas han sido asociados en Colombia con el narcotnifico y sus formas de resolución de conflictos, con las estrategias contrainsurgentes de las fuerzas armadas y las tácticas de ‘guerra sucia’ para enfrentar a la guerrilla revolucionaria, con formas parainstitucionales de control de la protesta social por parte de facciones ‘mafiosas’ del capital, o con el crecimiento del latifundio ganadero y el desalojo violento de ca…
Paramilitares y autodefensas, 1982-2003
Misinformation About HIV and Negative Attitudes Toward Homosexuality and Same-Sex Couples’ Rights: The Case of Colombia
The rights of homosexuals and same-sex couples are currently the subject of debate on the public stage and in courtrooms around the world. This debate is often colored by prejudice and misconceptions regarding homosexuality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study investigates the opinions of Colombian women about same-sex couples’ rights and women’s attitudes toward a homosexual child (maternal acceptance). Using a nationall…
Inputs, Incentives, and Complementarities in Education: Experimental Evidence from Tanzania
We present results from a large-scale randomized experiment across 350 schools in Tanzania that studied the impact of providing schools with (i) unconditional grants, (ii) teacher incentives based on student performance, and (iii) both of the above. After two years, we find (i) no impact on student test scores from providing school grants, (ii) some evidence of positive effects from teacher incentives, and (iii) significant positive effects from …
Efectividad de la participación de las víctimas del conflicto armado en el diseño, ejecución y control de las políticas públicas
Con el objetivo de desarrollar este artículo, se partió de su contextualización puesto que concierne a la participación de las víctimas del conflicto armado en Colombia en la Política Pública (Ley 1448 de 2011), por lo que se abordó bajo una óptica universal y general de las políticas públicas, observando con especial cuidado su definición, estructura, fases, intervinientes y contrincantes, como también el modelo secuencial de las mismas, para –d…
Communal Property Rights and Deforestation
Almost a third of the world’s forest area is communally managed. In principle, this arrangement could lead to a ‘tragedy of the commons’ and therefore more deforestation. But it may be easier to monitor outsiders’ deforestation of land owned by a community rather than an individual. We present a theoretical framework to examine these trade-offs and empirically study the effect of communal titling on deforestation in Colombia. Our empirical approa…
Direct vs indirect management training: Experimental evidence from schools in Mexico
Beyond Short-Term Learning Gains: The Impact of Outsourcing Schools in Liberia After Three Years
Outsourcing the management of ninety-three randomly-selected government primary schools in Liberia to eight private operators led to learning gains of 0.18$\sigma$ after one year, but these effects plateaued in subsequent years (reaching 0.2$\sigma$ after three years). Beyond learning gains, the programme reduced corporal punishment (by 4.6 percentage points from a base of 51%), but increased dropout (by 3.3 percentage points from a base of 15%) …
Cross-Age Tutoring: Experimental Evidence from Kenya
Tailoring teaching to students’ learning levels can improve learning outcomes in low-income countries. Cross-age tutoring, where older students tutor younger students, is a potential alternative for providing personalized instruction to younger students, though it comes at the cost of the older students’ time. We present results from a large experiment in Kenya in which schools were randomly assigned to implement either an English or a math tutor…
Designing Effective Teacher Performance Pay Programs: Experimental Evidence from Tanzania
We use a nationally representative field experiment in Tanzania to compare two teacher performance pay systems in public primary schools: a ‘pay-for-percentile’ system (a rank-order tournament) and a ‘levels’ system that features multiple proficiency thresholds. Pay for percentile can potentially induce socially optimal effort among teachers, while levels systems can encourage teachers to focus on students near passing thresholds. Despite the the…
Learning losses during the Covid-19 pandemic: Evidence from Mexico
The effect of school grants on test scores: Experimental evidence from Mexico
We use a randomized experiment (across 200 public primary schools in Puebla, Mexico) to study the impact of providing schools with cash grants on student test scores. Treated schools received on average 16 USD per student each year for two years, an increase of 20% in public spending per child, after teacher salaries. Overall, the grants had no impact on student test scores. Lack of a treatment effect does not seem to be driven by poor implementa…
Factorial Designs, Model Selection, and (Incorrect) Inference in Randomized Experiments
Factorial designs are widely used to study multiple treatments in one experiment. Although t-tests using a fully saturated “long” model provide valid inferences, “short” model t-tests (that ignore interactions) yield higher power if interactions are zero, but incorrect inferences otherwise. Of 27 factorial experiments published in top-five journals (2007–2017), nineteen use the short model. After including interactions, more than half of their re…
The productivity of public and private preschools (and schools): Evidence from India
We study the relative productivity of private and public institutions at the preschool and primary school levels using panel data from 215 villages in Tamil Nadu. Private preschools show higher test score value-added in math and language (∼0.59 − 0.74σ) and outperform government providers in nearly all villages. This productivity difference explains 60% of the socioeconomic test score gap before school entry. These results contrast starkly with p…
Preface to the IDRiM 2024 Conference Special Issue
Preface to the IDRiM 2024 Conference Special Issue
Psychology (7 works) · Political science (6 works) · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare (6 works) · Economics (5 works) · School Choice and Performance (5 works) · Conflict, Peace, and Violence in Colombia (4 works) · Geography (4 works) · Mathematics (4 works) · Statistics (4 works) · Demographic economics (3 works)