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Determinants of Academic Attainment in the US: a Quantile regression analysis of test scores

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  • Getinet Astatike Haile

    (Policy Studies Institute, London, UK)

  • Anh Ngoc Nguyen

    (Development and Policies Research Center, Vietnam)

Abstract

We investigate the determinants of high school students academic attainment in maths, reading and science; focusing particularly on possible effects that ethnicity and family background may have on attainment. Using data from the NELS2000 and employing quantile regression techniques, we find two important results. First, the gaps in maths, reading and science test scores among ethnic groups vary across the conditional quantiles of the measured test scores. Specifically, Blacks and Hispanics tend to fare worse in their attainment at higher quantiles, particularly in science. Secondly, the effects of family background factors such as parental education and fathers occupation also vary across quantiles of the test score distribution. The implication of these findings is that the commonly made broad distinction on whether one is from a privileged/disadvantaged ethnic and/or family background may not tell the whole story that the academic attainment discourse has to note. Interventions aimed at closing the gap in attainment between Whites and minorities may need to target higher levels of the test score distribution.

Suggested Citation

  • Getinet Astatike Haile & Anh Ngoc Nguyen, 2007. "Determinants of Academic Attainment in the US: a Quantile regression analysis of test scores," Working Papers 07, Development and Policies Research Center (DEPOCEN), Vietnam.
  • Handle: RePEc:dpc:wpaper:0707
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    Cited by:

    1. John Cullinan & Kevin Denny & Darragh Flannery, 2021. "A distributional analysis of upper secondary school performance," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 1085-1113, February.
    2. Mora Rodríguez, Jhon James & Estrada Nates, Daniela, 2021. "La relación entre el desarrollo de los municipios y la puntuación en Matemáticas: un caso aplicado para Colombia|| The relationship between the municipality development and mathematic score: the Colom," Revista de Métodos Cuantitativos para la Economía y la Empresa = Journal of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, vol. 32(1), pages 112-129, December.
    3. Kim, Sunha & Chang, Mido & Kim, Heejung, 2011. "Does teacher educational training help the early math skills of English language learners in Head Start?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 732-740, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Educational attainment; Quantile regression; US;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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