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The Tower of Babel in the Classroom: Immigrants and Natives in Italian Schools

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  • Ichino, Andrea
  • Fort, Margherita
  • Ballatore, Rosario Maria

Abstract

We exploit rules of class formation to identify the causal effect of increasing the number of immigrants in a classroom on natives test scores, keeping class size constant (Pure Composition Effect). We explain why this is a relevant policy parameter although it has been neglected so far. We show that the PCE is sizeable and negative at age 7 (-1.6% for language and math) and does not vanish when children grow up to age 10. Conventional estimates are instead smaller because they are confounded by endogenous class size adjustments implemented by principals when confronted with immigrant and native inflows.

Suggested Citation

  • Ichino, Andrea & Fort, Margherita & Ballatore, Rosario Maria, 2015. "The Tower of Babel in the Classroom: Immigrants and Natives in Italian Schools," CEPR Discussion Papers 10341, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:10341
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education; Immigration; Integration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C36 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Instrumental Variables (IV) Estimation
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination

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