Grading On A Curve: When Having Good Peers Is Not Good

Caterina Calsamiglia and Annalisa Loviglio

No 2016-020, Working Papers from Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group

Abstract: Student access to education levels, tracks or bachelor specialties is usually determined by their previous performance, measured either by internal exams, designed and graded by teachers in school, or external exams, designed and graded by central authorities. We say teachers in school grade on a curve whenever having better performing peers harms the grade obtained and hence the evaluation of a given student. We use rich administrative records from public schools in Catalonia to provide evidence that teachers indeed grade on a curve, leading to negative peer effects. We find suggestive evidence that these negative effects impact school choice only the year when internal grades have an impact on future prospects.

Keywords: peer effects; grades; School Choice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H75 I21 I28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-soc and nep-ure
Note: MIP
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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http://humcap.uchicago.edu/RePEc/hka/wpaper/Calsam ... 16_grading-curve.pdf First version, October 19, 2016 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Grading on a curve: When having good peers is not good (2019)
Working Paper: Grading on a Curve: When Having Good Peers is not Good (2017)
Working Paper: Grading On A Curve: When Having Good Peers Is Not Good (2016)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hka:wpaper:2016-020

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