Giving students control of classroom behavior makes the smart kids smarter, for years

A study in Bangladesh found that when students manage their own classroom behavior, their academic performance improves. These gains last for over a year, especially for the highest-achieving students who then help each other learn.

For years, education programs in low-resource areas focused on teacher training for classroom management. This paper shows that giving students responsibility for their own behavior can also boost learning. It turns out, the smartest students then teach each other, creating lasting academic gains.