Evaluating educational interventions in developing countries

Randomized experiments are an increasingly popular means of evaluating educational reforms throughout the world. Innovative researchers, policymakers, and foundations have implemented randomized evaluations of programs ranging from educational vouchers in Colombia, to teacher supply in India, to textbook provision and deworming in Kenya. The use of experimental approaches in the provision of social services is not a new practice; policymakers and researchers have long recognized that experimental approaches can produce reliable evidence of the efficacy (or inefficacy) of social-service provision.