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Assessing Divergences in Mathematics and Reading Achievement in Italian Primary Schools: A Proposal of Adjusted Indicators of School Effectiveness

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  • Isabella Sulis
  • Mariano Porcu

Abstract

This research aims to reach four main objectives by identifying plausible factors influencing Italian fifth grade pupils’ achievement in mathematics and reading: (1) to assess the relationships between pupils’ performances and their socio-cultural characteristics; (2) to suggest value-added measures of the contribution that schools give to pupils’ achievement; (3) to advance a system of indicators in order to detect schools characterized by distinctive performances; (4) to summarize main evidences at different geographical levels. Nationwide pupils’ scores in mathematics and reading tests have been jointly summarized using Item Response Theory models. A Multilevel Bivariate Regression model with heteroscedastic random terms at school-level has been adopted to single out the factors which seem to account for the greatest variability in pupils’ achievement as well as to jointly model the unobserved heterogeneity among geographical areas. A system of school value-added measures is proposed to make comparative assessments at national and at sub-national levels. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Isabella Sulis & Mariano Porcu, 2015. "Assessing Divergences in Mathematics and Reading Achievement in Italian Primary Schools: A Proposal of Adjusted Indicators of School Effectiveness," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 122(2), pages 607-634, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:122:y:2015:i:2:p:607-634
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-014-0701-z
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    Cited by:

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    2. Francesca Giambona & Mariano Porcu & Isabella Sulis, 2017. "Students Mobility: Assessing the Determinants of Attractiveness Across Competing Territorial Areas," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 133(3), pages 1105-1132, September.
    3. Columbu, Silvia & Porcu, Mariano & Sulis, Isabella, 2021. "University choice and the attractiveness of the study area: Insights on the differences amongst degree programmes in Italy based on generalised mixed-effect models," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    4. Michele La Rocca & Maria Lucia Parrella & Ilaria Primerano & Isabella Sulis & Maria Prosperina Vitale, 2017. "An integrated strategy for the analysis of student evaluation of teaching: from descriptive measures to explanatory models," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 51(2), pages 675-691, March.
    5. Sulis, Isabella & Giambona, Francesca & Porcu, Mariano, 2020. "Adjusted indicators of quality and equity for monitoring the education systems over time. Insights on EU15 countries from PISA surveys," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    6. Tommaso Agasisti & Patrizia Falzetti & Mara Soncin, 2016. "Italian school principals’ managerial behaviors and students’ test scores: an empirical analysis," Working papers 43, Società Italiana di Economia Pubblica.

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