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When Do Ordinal Ability Rank Effects Emerge? Evidence from the Timing of School Closures

Author

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  • Bertoni, Marco

    (University of Padova)

  • Parkam, Saeideh

    (University of Naples Federico II)

Abstract

We leverage the timing of pandemic-induced school closures to learn about the emergence of ordinal rank effects in education. Using administrative data from Italian middle schools for four cohorts of students, our study reveals that disrupting peer interactions during the first year of middle school - when students are still unfamiliar with one another - substantially diminishes the impact of ordinal rank on test scores. Instead, later interruptions to peer interactions do not significantly affect the strength of these interpersonal comparisons.

Suggested Citation

  • Bertoni, Marco & Parkam, Saeideh, 2024. "When Do Ordinal Ability Rank Effects Emerge? Evidence from the Timing of School Closures," IZA Discussion Papers 17222, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17222
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Richard Murphy & Felix Weinhardt, 2020. "Top of the Class: The Importance of Ordinal Rank," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 87(6), pages 2777-2826.
    2. Agostinelli, Francesco & Doepke, Matthias & Sorrenti, Giuseppe & Zilibotti, Fabrizio, 2022. "When the great equalizer shuts down: Schools, peers, and parents in pandemic times," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ability peer effect; ordinal ability rank; school closures; COVID-19;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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