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Does School Choice Improve Student Performance?

Author

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  • Kaja Høiseth Brugård

    (Department of Economics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
    Center for Economic Research at NTNU)

Abstract

This paper studies the relationship between school choice and student performance for high school students in Norway. The analysis exploits both the fact that the degree of school choice formally differs between counties, and detailed information on travelling distances to high schools, which more closely reflects the students' actual school choice possibilities. Information on students' residence, high school location, and the degree of formal school choice is used to estimate the effect on student achievement in a difference-in-differences-in-differences model specification. In addition, I estimate the effect of school choice on high school graduation rates and university attainment. I find a positive and significant effect of school choice on student performance, and heterogeneity analyses indicates that this effect is entirely driven by the performance of boys.

Suggested Citation

  • Kaja Høiseth Brugård, 2013. "Does School Choice Improve Student Performance?," Working Paper Series 14513, Department of Economics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
    • Handle: RePEc:nst:samfok:14513
    as

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    File URL: http://www.svt.ntnu.no/iso/WP/2013/07_schoolchoice_KHB.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

    school choice; high school education; student achievement;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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