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The Effects of Free Secondary School Track Choice: A Disaggregated Synthetic Control Approach

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  • Aderonke Osikominu
  • Gregor Pfeifer
  • Kristina Strohmaier
  • Gregor-Gabriel Pfeifer

Abstract

We exploit a recent state-level reform in Germany that granted parents the right to decide on the highest secondary school track suitable for their child, changing the purpose of the primary teacher's recommendation from mandatory to informational. Applying a disaggregated synthetic control approach to administrative district-level data, we find that transition rates to the higher school tracks increased substantially, with stronger responses among children from richer districts. Simultaneously, grade repetition in the first grades of secondary school increased dramatically, suggesting that parents choose school tracks also to align with their own aspirations – resulting in greater misallocation of students.

Suggested Citation

  • Aderonke Osikominu & Gregor Pfeifer & Kristina Strohmaier & Gregor-Gabriel Pfeifer, 2021. "The Effects of Free Secondary School Track Choice: A Disaggregated Synthetic Control Approach," CESifo Working Paper Series 8879, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_8879
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    Cited by:

    1. Elisabeth Grewenig, 2021. "School Track Decisions and Teacher Recommendations: Evidence from German State Reforms," ifo Working Paper Series 353, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    2. Cattaneo, Maria A. & Wolter, Stefan C., 2022. "“Against all odds” Does awareness of the risk of failure matter for educational choices?," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    3. Bach, Maximilian, 2021. "Heterogeneous responses to school track choice: Evidence from the repeal of binding track recommendations," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-104, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    4. Ketevani Kapanadze, 2021. "Checkmate! Losing with Borders, Winning with Centers. The Case of European Integration," CERGE-EI Working Papers wp716, The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    school tracking; student performance; synthetic control method; treatment effect distributions; treatment effect heterogeneity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models
    • C46 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Specific Distributions
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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