Educational Effects of Widening Access to the Academic Track: A Natural Experiment

Eric Maurin and Sandra McNally

CEE Discussion Papers from Centre for the Economics of Education, LSE

Abstract: It is difficult to know whether widening access to schools which provide a more academically oriented general education makes a difference to average educational achievement. We make use of reforms affecting admission to the 'high ability' track in Northern Ireland, but not England. The comparison of educational outcomes between Northern Ireland and England before and after the reform identifies the net effect of expanding the academic track to accommodate more students. This is composed of the direct effect of the more academic track on individual performance and the indirect effect arising on account of the change in peer group composition. Our paper is relevant to debate on the consequences of ability tracking and of expanding access to the academic track.

Keywords: education; tracking; selection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007-08
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-hrm, nep-lab and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Educational effects of widening access to the academic track: a natural experiment (2007)
Working Paper: Educational Effects of Widening Access to the Academic Track: A Natural Experiment (2007)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cep:ceedps:0085

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