Shrinking Classroom Age Variance Raises Student Achievement : Evidence from Developing Countries
Large classroom variance of student age is prevalent in developing countries, where achievement tends to be low. This paper investigates whether increased classroom age variance adversely affects mathematics and science achievement. Using exogenous...
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Language: | English |
Published: |
2012
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Online Access: | http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20110110163516 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3300 |
Summary: | Large classroom variance of student age
is prevalent in developing countries, where achievement
tends to be low. This paper investigates whether increased
classroom age variance adversely affects mathematics and
science achievement. Using exogenous variation in the
variance of student age in ability-mixing schools, the
author finds robust negative effects of classroom age
variance on fourth graders' achievement in developing
countries. A simulation demonstrates that re-grouping
students by age in the sample can improve math and science
test scores by roughly 0.1 standard deviations. According to
past estimates for the United States, this effect size is
similar to that of raising expenditures per student by 26 percent. |
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