Which School Systems Sort Weaker Students into Smaller Classes? International Evidence

Martin R. West () and Ludger Woessmann
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Martin R. West: Harvard University

No 744, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We examine whether the sorting of differently achieving students into differently sized classes results in a regressive or compensatory pattern of class sizes for a sample of national school systems. Sorting effects are identified by subtracting the causal effect of class size on performance from their total correlation. Our empirical results indicate substantial compensatory sorting within and especially between schools in many countries. Only the United States, a country with decentralized education finance and considerable residential mobility, exhibits regressive between-school sorting. Between-school sorting is more compensatory in systems with ability tracking. Within-school sorting is more compensatory when administrators rather than teachers assign students to classrooms.

Keywords: class size; educational achievement; student sorting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D73 H52 I28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 42 pages
Date: 2003-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-lab and nep-lam
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Published - published in: European Journal of Political Economy, 2006, 22 (4), 944-968

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Related works:
Journal Article: Which school systems sort weaker students into smaller classes? International evidence (2006)
Working Paper: Which school systems sort weaker students into smaller classes? International evidence (2006)
Working Paper: Which School Systems Sort Weaker Students into Smaller Classes? International Evidence (2003)
Working Paper: Which School Systems Sort Weaker Students into Smaller Classes? International Evidence (2003)
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