Essays in Applied Microeconomics

Existing literature demonstrates that peer age plays a crucial role in shaping student outcomes in elementary school. In the first chapter, I build on this literature by highlighting that differences in developmental rates between boys and girls likely lead to varying theoretical effects of peer age based on gender. I find that both male and female peer age positively influence student test scores, but male peer age has an impact that is twice as large as female peer age. Further analysis reveals substantial differences in these effects based on students’ gender, age, and economic disadvantage. Referring to the differential patterns of brain development and hormonal regulation by gender, the second chapter examines the potential differential impact of age on academic performance across genders and subject domains. I find that across both math and reading, girls consistently show higher age-related gains than boys, suggesting faster maturity growth with age.