Our entry in the live Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics. We highlight the enduring evidence that education is a powerful form of human capital investment, generating substantial private and social returns. Education remains one of the best investments individuals and societies can make. The evidence is remarkably consistent: higher levels of educationContinue reading “Education Remains One of the Best Investments We Can Make”
Learning Pays More Than Schooling
For decades, the economics of education has delivered a remarkably consistent finding: more education leads to higher earnings. But there is an important question that often gets overlooked. What matters more: how long students stay in school, or how much they actually learn? My latest substack: https://harryapatrinos.substack.com/p/learning-pays-more-than-schooling
Human Capital Is Climate Policy
I presented this work at the SustainableED 2026 Conference at the Annenberg Institute at Brown University on May 1, 2026, where I spoke on A Review of Human Development and Environmental Outcomes (slides attached). This question—whether education can influence climate outcomes—has long been assumed, but rarely tested with credible causal evidence. In a recent paperContinue reading “Human Capital Is Climate Policy”
Designing Effective PPPs in Education: Does governance design matter more than private provision
My presentation from the 2026 AERA meetings. This paper examines publicly funded school choice as a form of education public-private partnership (PPP) and evaluates whether cross-national differences in system performance correspond to institutional design rather than private provision alone. Using structured comparative case analysis and policy benchmarking data, six countries and the fragmented U.S. modelContinue reading “Designing Effective PPPs in Education: Does governance design matter more than private provision”
Education Pays – And Now We Know It’s Causal
For years, a familiar critique has shadowed one of the most robust findings in economics: people with more education earn more.Yes – but is it causal?Do schools actually raise earnings? Or are more able, more motivated individuals simply more likely to stay in school?In a new paper with George Psacharopoulos, published in the International JournalContinue reading “Education Pays – And Now We Know It’s Causal”
Department of Education Reform February 2026 Newsletter
Department of Education Reform February 2026 Newsletter https://shorturl.at/MLCm
New in The 74: Arkansas’ 3rd-grade retention is coming — but retention isn’t the reform
Arkansas is about to implement a high-stakes element of the Right to Read Act: beginning this summer, third-graders who aren’t reading proficiently can be retained. That reality is creating understandable anxiety for families and educators. In my new The 74 analysis, I make a simple, evidence-based point: retention by itself won’t raise literacy. What movedContinue reading “New in The 74: Arkansas’ 3rd-grade retention is coming — but retention isn’t the reform”
Department of Education Reform: Impact in Arkansas
Our latest newsletter highlights how the Department of Education Reform, Arkansas Teacher Corps, and the Office for Education Policy are making a real impact across Arkansas. This month’s spotlight features new research on the returns to education in Arkansas, updates on teacher pipeline initiatives, evidence-based policy work with schools and state leaders, and upcoming lecturesContinue reading “Department of Education Reform: Impact in Arkansas”
Can More Schooling Change How We Act on Climate?
I’m pleased to share a new paper, co-authored with Diego Ambasz and Anshuman Gupta, A review of human development and environmental outcomes. Although there is now substantial research on how climate and environmental conditions affect human development, much less is known about the reverse channel: can education itself help mitigate climate change and improve environmentalContinue reading “Can More Schooling Change How We Act on Climate?”
Education, economics and public policy 