Migrant Youths' Educational Achievement: The Role of Institutions

Deborah Cobb-Clark, Mathias Sinning () and Steven Stillman

No 6150, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We use 2009 Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) data to link institutional arrangements in OECD countries to the disparity in reading, math, and science test scores for migrant and native-born students. We find that achievement gaps are larger for those migrant youths who arrive later and for those who do not speak the test language at home. Institutional arrangements often serve to mitigate the achievement gaps of some migrant students while leaving unaffected or exacerbating those of others. For example, earlier school starting ages help migrant youths in some cases, but by no means in all. Limited tracking on ability appears beneficial for migrants' relative achievement, while complete tracking and a large private school sector appear detrimental. Migrant students' achievement relative to their native-born peers suffers as educational spending and teachers' salaries increase, but is improved when examination is a component of the process for evaluating teachers.

Keywords: PISA test scores; migrant youths; academic achievement; schools; institutions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F22 I24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 42 pages
Date: 2011-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-lab and nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Published - published in: Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences, 2012, 643 (1), 18-45

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Related works:
Working Paper: Migrant Youths' Educational Achievement: The Role of Institutions (2011)
Working Paper: Migrant Youths' Educational Achievement: The Role of Institutions (2011)
Working Paper: Migrant Youths' Educational Achievement: The Role of Institutions (2011)
Working Paper: Migrant Youths' Educational Achievement: The Role of Institutions (2011)
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