Heterogeneity in the Effect of Terror Fatalities on Matriculation Scores by Exam Subject Type
| STEM and Non-STEM Subjects | Mandatory and Elective Subjects | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEM | Non-STEM | Mandatory | Elective | |
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | |
| # Fatalities (4-day window) | –0.0056** | –0.0055*** | –0.0035** | –0.0081*** |
| (0.0027) | (0.0018) | (0.0017) | (0.0026) | |
| p-value for coefficient equality | 0.9864 | 0.1202 | ||
| Fixed effects | ||||
| Student by exam period | x | x | x | x |
| Subject | x | x | x | x |
| Schools | 420 | 420 | 420 | 420 |
| Students | 193,787 | 247,824 | 247,936 | 183,012 |
| N (Exams) | 486,412 | 1,464,206 | 1,562,637 | 387,981 |
Notes: Standard errors reported in parentheses are clustered at the area and date level. Each cell in the table represents a separate regression. The dependent variable is the standardized matriculation exam score. The independent variable is the number of Israeli fatalities from a terror attack in the student’s area within the four-day window preceding the exam. All regressions include fixed effects for proficiency level (for both the subject and the specific exam) and an indicator for a retake exam. The sample comprises all 12th-grade students in the regular Jewish state system who took matriculation exams during the years 2001–2005. *p < 0.10, **p < 0.05, ***p < 0.01.