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The costs of failure: Negative externalities in high school course repetition

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  • Hill, Andrew J.

Abstract

Failure in US high school courses is common, but little is known about its effects. This paper investigates the extent to which course repeaters in high school mathematics courses exert negative externalities on their course-mates. Using individual and school-specific course fixed effects to control for ability and course selection, it shows that increasing the share of repeaters in a given course results in a moderate, significant increase in the probability of course failure for first-time course-takers. Results suggest that the negative effect is only evident when the share of repeaters reaches a threshold of five to ten percent of the total number of course-takers. The possibility that grading to a curve generates the effect cannot be ruled out, but is not fully supported in the data. Evidence is also presented that course repetition externalities may be distinct from low-ability peer effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Hill, Andrew J., 2014. "The costs of failure: Negative externalities in high school course repetition," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 91-105.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:43:y:2014:i:c:p:91-105
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2014.10.002
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    Cited by:

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    2. Javier Valbuena & Mauro Mediavilla & Álvaro Choi & María Gil, 2021. "Effects Of Grade Retention Policies: A Literature Review Of Empirical Studies Applying Causal Inference," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(2), pages 408-451, April.
    3. Luciana Méndez-Errico & Xavier Ramos, 2022. "Selection and educational attainment: why some children are left behind? Evidence from a middle-income country," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(6), pages 624-643, November.
    4. Ibrahim Bicak & Lauren Schudde & Kristina Flores, 2023. "Predictors and Consequences of Math Course Repetition: The Role of Horizontal and Vertical Repetition in Success Among Community College Transfer Students," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 64(2), pages 260-299, March.
    5. Ferreira Sequeda, Maria & Golsteyn, Bart & Parra Cely, Sergio, 2018. "The effect of grade retention on secondary school performance: Evidence from a natural experiment," ROA Research Memorandum 003, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    6. Zhao, Liqiu & Zhao, Zhong, 2021. "Disruptive Peers in the Classroom and Students’ Academic Outcomes: Evidence and Mechanisms," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    7. Li, Li & Zhao, Liqiu, 2022. "Does a “bad apple” spoil the bunch? The impact of low-achieving students on non-cognitive outcomes," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    8. Hill, Andrew J. & Jones, Daniel B., 2018. "A teacher who knows me: The academic benefits of repeat student-teacher matches," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 1-12.
    9. Daniel Goller & Andrea Diem & Stefan C. Wolter, 2022. "Sitting next to a dropout: Study success of students with peers that came to the lecture hall by a different route," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0190, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Human capital; Peer effects; Mathematics; Course repetition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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