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Gift Of Time And Family Gift: The Effect Of Early School Entry On Pupils Performance

Author

Listed:
  • Patrizia Ordine
  • Giuseppe Rose
  • Daniela Sposato

    (Dipartimento di Economia, Statistica e Finanza, Università della Calabria)

Abstract

This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the effect of early school entry on educational outcomes using standardized test score data on Italian pupils. The empirical procedure is designed to disentangle the effect of regular entry (Gift of Time) from possible unobserved confounding factors (Family Gift) affecting both enrollment decision and schooling outcome. We tackle the issue of selection on unobservables by using a Regression Discontinuity Design so that exogenous age thresholds are used to compare children with similar age but different educational choices. Our estimates suggest that anticipated school entry may generate severe penalties in test scores which persist during primary school. Our fi?ndings have policy implications for parents, which struggle with the question of whether they should send their children to school as soon as they are eligible, and for governments, which can change cutoff birth date for ?first enrollment into school.

Suggested Citation

  • Patrizia Ordine & Giuseppe Rose & Daniela Sposato, 2014. "Gift Of Time And Family Gift: The Effect Of Early School Entry On Pupils Performance," Working Papers 201408, Università della Calabria, Dipartimento di Economia, Statistica e Finanza "Giovanni Anania" - DESF.
    • Handle: RePEc:clb:wpaper:201408
    as

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    File URL: http://www.ecostat.unical.it/RePEc/WorkingPapers/WP08_2014.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Age at school entry; primary school; standardized test scores;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education

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