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Reduced-class distinctions: Effort, ability, and the education production function

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  • Babcock, Philip
  • Betts, Julian R.

Abstract

Do smaller classes boost achievement mainly by helping teachers impart specific academic skills to students with low academic achievement? Or do they do so primarily by helping teachers engage poorly behaving students? The analysis uses the grade 3 to 4 transition in San Diego Unified School District as a source of exogenous variation in class size (given a California law funding small classes until grade 3). Grade 1 report cards allow separate identification of low-effort and low-achieving students. Results indicate that elicitation of effort or engagement, rather than the teaching of specific skills, may be the dominant channel by which small classes influence disadvantaged students.

Suggested Citation

  • Babcock, Philip & Betts, Julian R., 2009. "Reduced-class distinctions: Effort, ability, and the education production function," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 314-322, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:juecon:v:65:y:2009:i:3:p:314-322
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    Cited by:

    1. Tom Coupe & Anna Olefir & Juan Diego Alonso, 2011. "Is Optimization an Opportunity? An Assessment of the Impact of Class Size and School Size on the Performance of Ukrainian Secondary Schools," Discussion Papers 44, Kyiv School of Economics.
    2. Matej Opatrny & Tomas Havranek & Zuzana Irsova & Milan Scasny, 2023. "Publication Bias and Model Uncertainty in Measuring the Effect of Class Size on Achievement," Working Papers IES 2023/19, Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Economic Studies, revised May 2023.
    3. Isabel Melguizo & Sergio Tovar, 2025. "Effort Provision in Peer Groups," Working Papers DTE 646, CIDE, División de Economía.
    4. Alexei Karas, 2021. "The effect of class size on grades and course evaluations: Evidence from multisection courses," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(4), pages 624-642, October.
    5. Graham McKee & Katharine Sims & Steven Rivkin, 2015. "Disruption, learning, and the heterogeneous benefits of smaller classes," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 1267-1286, May.
    6. Betts, Julian R., 2011. "The Economics of Tracking in Education," Handbook of the Economics of Education, in: Erik Hanushek & Stephen Machin & Ludger Woessmann (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Education, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 7, pages 341-381, Elsevier.
    7. Graham J. McKee & Steven G. Rivkin & Katharine R.E. Sims, 2010. "Disruption, Achievement and the Heterogeneous Benefits of Smaller Classes," NBER Working Papers 15812, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Facundo Albornoz & Antonio Cabrales & Esther Hauk, 2019. "Occupational Choice with Endogenous Spillovers," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 129(621), pages 1953-1970.
    9. Polcyn Jan, 2018. "Human development level as a modifier of education efficiency," Management, Sciendo, vol. 22(2), pages 171-186, December.
    10. Mark Hoekstra, 2010. "Are School Counselors a Cost-Effective Education Input?," Working Paper 396, Department of Economics, University of Pittsburgh, revised Jan 2011.
    11. Polcyn, Jan, 2017. "Edukacja jako dobro publiczne - próba kwantyfikacji [Education as a public good – an attempt at quantification]," MPRA Paper 76606, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2017.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I22 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Educational Finance; Financial Aid

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