A new horizon? The effect of a national education reform on student achievement and the academic environment

This study analyzes the effects of a nationwide school reform in Israel on student achievement and the school learning environment. The New Horizon reform, initiated by the Ministry of Education, was gradually implemented in elementary schools beginning in 2008. It increased the time teachers spend in school, introduced small-group learning, raised teachers’ and principals’ salaries, and established higher requirements and incentives for professional development. Using a staggered difference-in-differences approach, we evaluate the reform’s effects on student achievement and the school learning environment. We find that in the four years following implementation, math and English test scores improved alongside various aspects of the learning environment. We offer suggestive evidence that the math gains are driven by small-group learning targeting lower-achieving students, while English gains are consistent with improved net working conditions for English teachers.