How can we ensure that students from all backgrounds can achieve their academic potential? In the first of a series of blog posts exploring the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab's (J-PAL's) research and activities across Europe, Cillian Nolan, Director of policy at J-PAL Europe, looks at a series of randomised evaluations in Italy that explore this question with a particular focus on students from immigrant families. As school systems across Europe welcome increasingly diverse populations, this research provides insights into pathways for transforming students’ educational aspirations and academic performance, as well as their well-being.
