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Autonomous Schools, Achievement, and Segregation

Author

Listed:
  • Irmert, Natalie

    (Lund University)

  • Bietenbeck, Jan

    (Lund University)

  • Mattisson, Linn

    (Socialstyrelsen)

  • Weinhardt, Felix

    (European University Viadrina, Frankfurt / Oder)

Abstract

We study the impact of autonomous schools – publicly funded institutions that operate more independently than government-run schools – on student achievement and school segregation, using data from 15 countries over 16 years. Our triple-differences regressions exploit between-grade variation in the share of students attending autonomous schools within a given country and year. We find that autonomous schools do not raise overall achievement, and our estimates are precise enough to rule out even modest positive effects in math and small positive effects in science. However, these aggregate results mask important heterogeneity, with consistently positive effects for high-socioeconomic-status students and natives, and negative effects for low-socioeconomic-status students and immigrants. In line with these results, we also find that autonomous schools increase segregation by socioeconomic and immigrant status. We conclude that autonomous schools have not generated the anticipated system-wide benefits.

Suggested Citation

  • Irmert, Natalie & Bietenbeck, Jan & Mattisson, Linn & Weinhardt, Felix, 2024. "Autonomous Schools, Achievement, and Segregation," IZA Discussion Papers 17462, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17462
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Winters, Marcus A., 2012. "Measuring the effect of charter schools on public school student achievement in an urban environment: Evidence from New York City," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 293-301.
    2. Caroline Minter Hoxby, 2003. "School Choice and School Productivity. Could School Choice Be a Tide that Lifts All Boats?," NBER Chapters, in: The Economics of School Choice, pages 287-342, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Charles M. Tiebout, 1956. "A Pure Theory of Local Expenditures," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 64(5), pages 416-416.
    4. Scott E. Carrell & Bruce I. Sacerdote & James E. West, 2013. "From Natural Variation to Optimal Policy? The Importance of Endogenous Peer Group Formation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 81(3), pages 855-882, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    autonomous schools; student achievement; school segregation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination

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