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Fundamental Determinants of School Efficiency and Equity: German States as a Microcosm for OECD Countries

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  • Woessmann, Ludger

    (University of Munich)

Abstract

Cross-country evidence on student achievement might be hampered by omitted country characteristics such as language or legal differences. This paper uses cross-state variation in Germany, whose sixteen states share the same language and legal system, but pursue different education policies. The same results found previously across countries hold within Germany: Higher mean student performance is associated with central exams, private school operation, and socio-economic background, but not with spending, while higher equality of opportunity is associated with reduced tracking. In a model that pools German states with OECD countries, these fundamental determinants do not differ significantly between the two samples.

Suggested Citation

  • Woessmann, Ludger, 2007. "Fundamental Determinants of School Efficiency and Equity: German States as a Microcosm for OECD Countries," IZA Discussion Papers 2880, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2880
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    Cited by:

    1. Ludger Wößmann, 2009. "International Evidence on School Tracking: A Review," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 7(1), pages 26-34, 04.
    2. Eric Hanushek & Ludger Woessmann, 2012. "Do better schools lead to more growth? Cognitive skills, economic outcomes, and causation," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 267-321, December.
    3. Dalit Contini & Andrea Scagni, 2011. "Inequality of opportunity in secondary school enrolment in Italy, Germany and the Netherlands," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 441-464, February.
    4. Amegashie, J. Atsu & Ouattara, Bazoumanna & Strobl, Eric, 2007. "Moral Hazard and the Composition of Transfers: Theory with an Application to Foreign Aid," MPRA Paper 3158, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 06 May 2007.
    5. Korthals, Roxanne, 2016. "The education revolution on horseback II: Using the Napoleonic Wars to elicit the effect of tracking on student performance," ROA Research Memorandum 006, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    6. Weiss, Volkmar, 2008. "National IQ means, calibrated and transformed from educational attainment, and their underlying gene frequencies," MPRA Paper 13239, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Korthals, Roxanne, 2016. "The education revolution on horseback I: The relation between Napoleon Bonaparte and education system characteristics," ROA Research Memorandum 005, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    8. Stefan Arent & Alexander Eck & Oskar Krohmer & Robert Lehmann & Wolfgang Nagl & Joachim Ragnitz & Marcel Thum, 2011. "Wirtschaftliche Entwicklung Sachsens im Ländervergleich: Bestandsaufnahme und Perspektiven: Gutachten im Auftrag der Sächsischen Staatskanzlei," ifo Dresden Studien, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 59, May.
    9. Weiss, Volkmar, 2009. "National IQ Means Transformed from Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Scores, and their Underlying Gene Frequencies," MPRA Paper 14600, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Florian Birkenfeld & Shima'a Hanafy, 2008. "Was macht eine zentrale Abschlusspruefung aus?," Economics of Education Working Paper Series 0033, University of Zurich, Department of Business Administration (IBW).
    11. Delprato, Marcos & Antequera, Germán, 2021. "School efficiency in low and middle income countries: An analysis based on PISA for development learning survey," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    12. Brian Burgoon & Bea Cantillon & Giacomo Corneo & Marloes Graaf-zijl & Tony Fahey & Horn, D. & Bram Lancee & Virginia Maestri & Ive Marx & Abigail Mcknight & Márton Medgyesi & Elena Meschi & Michelle N, 2011. "Inequalities' Impacts: State of the Art Review," GINI Discussion Papers re1, AIAS, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Germany; education production function; institutional effects in schooling; PISA; student performance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • L38 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Public Policy
    • L33 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Comparison of Public and Private Enterprise and Nonprofit Institutions; Privatization; Contracting Out
    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education
    • D02 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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