The Dynamics of School Attainment of England’s Ethnic Minorities

Deborah Wilson, Simon Burgess () and Adam Briggs ()

The Centre for Market and Public Organisation from The Centre for Market and Public Organisation, University of Bristol, UK

Abstract: We exploit a universe dataset of state school students in England with linked test score records to document the evolution of attainment through school for different ethnic groups. The analysis yields a number of striking findings. First, we show that, controlling for personal characteristics, all minority groups make greater progress than white students over secondary schooling. Second, much of this improvement occurs in the high-stakes exams at the end of compulsory schooling. Third, we show that for most ethnic groups, this gain is pervasive, happening in almost all schools in which these students are found. We address some of the usual factors invoked to explain attainment gaps: poverty, language, school quality, and teacher influence. We conclude that our findings are more consistent with the importance of factors like aspirations and attitudes.

Keywords: ethnic test score gap; school attainment; education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I20 J15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 61 pages
Date: 2005-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-hrm and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (29)

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Related works:
Journal Article: The dynamics of school attainment of England’s ethnic minorities (2011)
Working Paper: The Dynamics of School Attainment of Englands Ethnic Minorities (2006)
Working Paper: The dynamics of school attainment of England's ethnic minorities (2006)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bri:cmpowp:05/130

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