# **1. Introduction**

Several Latin American countries recently implemented full-time schooling programs with the objective of reducing dropout rates and improving student learning, ultimately reducing income inequalities. However, in part given their high per student costs, these tend to be controversial reforms. Surprisingly, few rigorous studies have assessed the impacts of these reforms on educational outcomes in a context of middleincome countries. In this paper, we evaluate the impact on educational outcomes by the Brazilian federal program of extension of the school day, _Mais Educação_ ( _“More Education”_ ). Starting in 2008, the program gradually expanded nationwide, covering more than 65 percent of municipalities in 2013.<sup>2</sup> We exploit administrative data between 2007 and 2011 and a differences-in-differences matching estimator to assess the impact of the program on educational outcomes (Portuguese and mathematics test scores and dropout rates). We selected these indicators because the ultimate goal of _Mais Educação_ is to improve schooling outcomes among public schools, reduce evasion and dropout rates, and improve learning.

In recent decades, Brazil has made large progress in access to basic education, but this was not accompanied by higher quality education.<sup>3</sup> The 2012 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results show that the quality of education in the country remains far below international standards.<sup>4</sup> Aiming to improve Brazilian public education, in 2008 the Ministry of Education (MEC) created _Mais Educação_ , a nationwide program supporting the expansion of the school day in public basic education schools.<sup>5</sup> Although not yet covering the entire school system, the program has been growing at a fast pace and covers the three education networks: federal, state, and municipal. _Mais Educação_ has been one of the main federal policies to incentivize and expand the provision of full-time education and ultimately achieve the _Plano Nacional da Educação_ (PNE) targets.<sup>6</sup> _Mais Educação_ extends the school day by financing extra activities scheduled before or after the regular class hours. Public schools joining the program can choose the extracurricular activities to be carried out, but the pedagogic supervision-related activities are mandatory.<sup>7</sup> Although the criteria for selection of schools changed over time, de facto priority was given to schools in socially disadvantaged areas or schools with low learning achievements. _Mais Educação_ started in 2008 and gradually expanded from 1,380 schools in 2008 (corresponding to 2.1 percent of state schools<sup>8</sup> and 0.4 percent of municipal

> 2 As of 2013, 3,665 out of 5,570 Brazilian municipalities had schools enrolled in _Mais Educação._

> 3 According to the _Pesquisa Nacional de Amostra por Domicílios_ (PNAD), in 2006, 98 percent of children between ages 7 and 14 attended school.

> 4 In the fields of reading, math, and the sciences, Brazil ranked 59th in student achievement. Furthermore, compared to the 2009 PISA results, Brazil worsened its position across the three knowledge areas assessed.

> 5 The regular school day in Brazil lasts on average 4.5 hours (Brazilian School Census 2007).

> 6 PNE establishes that 50 percent of public schools and 25 percent of public school students should have a full-time education.

> 7 Schools could choose mathematics, reading and writing, history, geography, and sciences activities.

> 8 In 2008, only the state of São Paulo did not participate in _Mais Educação_ .

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