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The Racial Test Score Gap and Parental Involvement in Britain

Author

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  • Patacchini, Eleonora

    (Cornell University)

  • Zenou, Yves

    (Monash University)

Abstract

We investigate the racial gap in test scores between black and white students in Britain both in levels and differences across the school years. We find that there is an increasing racial gap in test scores between ages 7 and 11, and a decreasing one between ages 11 and 16. Using the richness of information of the National Child Development Study, we find that the evolution of the racial test score gap reflects the racial parenting gap. The latter can, in turn, be explained by the fact that, during this period, the social structure of black families has gone through important changes while it has remained roughly the same for white families.

Suggested Citation

  • Patacchini, Eleonora & Zenou, Yves, 2007. "The Racial Test Score Gap and Parental Involvement in Britain," IZA Discussion Papers 2613, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2613
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Patacchini, Eleonora & Zenou, Yves, 2009. "On the sources of the black-white test score gap in Europe," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 102(1), pages 49-52, January.
    2. Barón, Juan D. & Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Erkal, Nisvan, 2008. "Cultural Transmission of Work-Welfare Attitudes and the Intergenerational Correlation in Welfare Receipt," IZA Discussion Papers 3904, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Jonathan Sandy & Kevin Duncan, 2010. "Examining the achievement test score gap between urban and suburban students," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(3), pages 297-315.
    4. Amini, Chiara & Nivorozhkin, Eugene, 2015. "The urban–rural divide in educational outcomes: Evidence from Russia," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 118-133.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    family structure; education; cultural differences; ethnic minorities;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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