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Sibling spillover effects in school achievement

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  • Cheti Nicoletti
  • Birgitta Rabe

Abstract

This paper provides empirical evidence on sibling spillover effects in school achievement using administrative data on 230,000 siblings in England. We extend previous strategies to identify peer effects by exploiting the variation in school test scores across subjects observed at ages 11 and 16 as well as variation in peer quality between siblings. We find a statistically significant positive spillover effect from the older to the younger sibling. Sibling spillovers account for a non‐negligible proportion of the attainment gap between low‐ and higher income pupils in England.

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  • Cheti Nicoletti & Birgitta Rabe, 2019. "Sibling spillover effects in school achievement," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(4), pages 482-501, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:japmet:v:34:y:2019:i:4:p:482-501
    DOI: 10.1002/jae.2674
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    6. Jacob, Arun, 2016. "Gender Bias in Educational Attainment in India : The Role of Dowry Payments," MPRA Paper 76338, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Marchenko, Maria, 2019. "Endogenous Shocks in Social Networks: Exam Failures and Friends' Future Performance," Department of Economics Working Paper Series 292, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business.
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    9. Ainhoa Aparicio-Fenoll & Veruska Oppedisano, 2016. "Should I stay or should I go? Sibling effects in household formation," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 1007-1027, December.
    10. Gabriele Mari, 2024. "Less for more? Cuts to child benefits, family adjustments, and long-run child outcomes in larger families," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 37(2), pages 1-27, June.
    11. Costanza Biavaschi & Corrado Giulietti & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2015. "Sibling Influence on the Human Capital of the Left-Behind," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 9(4), pages 403-438.
    12. Peter, Noemi & Lundborg, Petter & Mikkelsen, Sara & Webbink, Dinand, 2018. "The effect of a sibling’s gender on earnings and family formation," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 61-78.
    13. Peter, Noemi & Lundborg, Petter & Webbink, Dinand, 2015. "The Effect of a Sibling's Gender on Earnings, Education and Family Formation," IZA Discussion Papers 9128, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Ferreira, João R. & Sandholtz, Wayne Aaron, 2024. "Free Schooling Reverses Sibling Rivalry," IZA Discussion Papers 17228, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Zhang, Huafeng & Holden, Stein T., 2024. "Sibling Spillover Effects and Educational Outcomes in Ghana and Niger," CLTS Working Papers 2/24, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Centre for Land Tenure Studies.
    16. Crudu, Federico & Neri, Laura & Tiezzi, Silvia, 2021. "Family ties and child obesity in Italy," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 40(C).
    17. Mari, Gabriele, 2023. "Less for more? Cuts to child benefits, family adjustments, and long-run child outcomes in larger families," SocArXiv e3n82, Center for Open Science.
    18. Mariel Bedoya & Bruno Gonzaga & Alejandro Herrera Jiménez & Karen Espinoza, 2019. "Setting an example? Spillover effects of Peruvian Magnet Schools," Development Research Working Paper Series 01/2019, Institute for Advanced Development Studies.
    19. Maria Marchenko, 2019. "Dealing with Endogenous Shocks in Dynamic Friendship Network," Department of Economics Working Papers wuwp291, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Department of Economics.
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    JEL classification:

    • I22 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Educational Finance; Financial Aid
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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