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The (Un)Level Playing Field: How Color-Blind Educational Tracking Leads to Unequal Access

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Listed:
  • Triebs, Thomas
  • Morgan, John
  • Tumlinson, Justin

Abstract

Educational tracking seeks to group students by unobserved ability using measures of observable acquired skills. In a model where individuals have differential skills prior to beginning formal education due to differences in early childhood development (e.g. linguistic, cultural, or nutritional disadvantages), we show that color-blind tracking systematically underplaces minorities. As a result, minorities have, in expectation, higher abilities than non-minorities assigned to the same track regardless of track. A counterintuitive empirical implication of the model is that, conditional on tracking score and track, minorities will outperform non-minorities in subsequent testing following tracking. Affirmative action policies seeking to equalize posttracking outcomes share similar flaws to color-blind standards in that the average ability of minorities assigned to the upper track remains higher than for non-minorities.

Suggested Citation

  • Triebs, Thomas & Morgan, John & Tumlinson, Justin, 2015. "The (Un)Level Playing Field: How Color-Blind Educational Tracking Leads to Unequal Access," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 113106, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
  • Handle: RePEc:zbw:vfsc15:113106
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Giorgio Brunello & Daniele Checchi, 2007. "Does school tracking affect equality of opportunity? New international evidence [‘Educational opportunities and the role of institutions’]," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 22(52), pages 782-861.
    2. Phelps, Edmund S, 1972. "The Statistical Theory of Racism and Sexism," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 62(4), pages 659-661, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Hjertstrand, Per & Norbäck, Pehr-Johan & Persson, lars, 2017. "The Educated Underdog Becomes the Ultimate Superstar," Working Paper Series 1176, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy

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