Document Detail


Schooling as a Lottery: Racial Differences in School Advancement in Urban South Africa.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  21499515     Owner:  NLM     Status:  Publisher    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
This paper analyzes the large racial differences in progress through secondary school in South Africa. Using recently collected longitudinal data we find that grade advancement is strongly associated with scores on a baseline literacy and numeracy test. In grades 8-11 the effect of these scores on grade progression is much stronger for white and coloured students than for African students, while there is no racial difference in the impact of the scores on passing the nationally standardized grade 12 matriculation exam. We develop a stochastic model of grade repetition that generates predictions consistent with these results. The model predicts that a larger stochastic component in the link between learning and measured performance will generate higher enrollment, higher failure rates, and a weaker link between ability and grade progression. The results suggest that grade progression in African schools is poorly linked to actual ability and learning. The results point to the importance of considering the stochastic component of grade repetition in analyzing school systems with high failure rates.
Authors:
David Lam; Cally Ardington; Murray Leibbrandt
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Publication Detail:
Type:  JOURNAL ARTICLE    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of development economics     Volume:  95     ISSN:  0304-3878     ISO Abbreviation:  -     Publication Date:  2011 Jul 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-4-18     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9878815     Medline TA:  J Dev Econ     Country:  -    
Other Details:
Languages:  ENG     Pagination:  121-136     Citation Subset:  -    
Affiliation:
Department of Economics and Population Studies Center, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
R24 HD041028-10//NICHD NIH HHS; D43 TW000657-15//FIC NIH HHS; R01 HD039788-05//NICHD NIH HHS; R01 HD045581-05//NICHD NIH HHS

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