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Recommendation, class repeating, and children's ability: German school tracking experiences

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  • Ochsen, Carsten

Abstract

While the 2006 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study assesses the average ability of German primary school students as being higher than average, the Programme for International Student Assessment studies (2000, 2003, 2006) ranks German secondary school students at a considerably lower level. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, this paper examines whether a teacher's recommendation for the secondary school track and class repeating are causes for these ability differences. According to the estimates, failures as a result of teachers'recommendations given at the end of primary school are an important reason for the differences between the two types of studies. Being required to repeat a school class amplifies the inefficient management of children's abilities. In addition, we find evidence that regional economic performance at the time the recommendation is made affects the decision for the tracking path.

Suggested Citation

  • Ochsen, Carsten, 2008. "Recommendation, class repeating, and children's ability: German school tracking experiences," Thuenen-Series of Applied Economic Theory 96, University of Rostock, Institute of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:roswps:96
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    3. Davide Azzolini & Loris Vergolini, 2014. "Tracking, Inequality and Education Policy. Looking for a Recipe for the Italian Case," FBK-IRVAPP Working Papers 2014-08, Research Institute for the Evaluation of Public Policies (IRVAPP), Bruno Kessler Foundation.
    4. Patrizio Frederic & Michele Lalla, 2024. "Lower-to-upper secondary school transition: a Bayesian Lasso approach in data modelling," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 58(4), pages 3133-3154, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    education attainment; school system; educational tracking;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy
    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics

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