Selective Schools and Academic Achievement

Damon Clark

No 3182, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: In this paper I consider the impact of attending a selective high school in the UK. Students are assigned to these schools on the basis of a test taken in primary school and, using data on these assignment test scores for a particular district, I exploit this rule to estimate the causal effects of selective schools on test scores, high school course taking and university enrollment. Despite the huge peer advantage enjoyed by selective school students, I show that four years of selective school attendance generates at best small effects on test scores. Selective schools do however have positive effects on course-taking and university enrollment, evidence suggesting they may have important longer run impacts.

Keywords: instrumental variables; education; selective schools (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C21 I21 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 51 pages
Date: 2007-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-hrm and nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Published - published in: B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 2010, 10 (1)

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Journal Article: Selective Schools and Academic Achievement (2010)
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