Abstract:

The lack of longitudinal data prevents many countries from estimating dynamic models and thus from obtaining valuable evidence for policy making in the field of education. This is the case in Spain, where recent education reforms have focused on secondary schools, but their design has been based on incomplete information on the evolution of student performance and weak evidence on the timing of educational inequalities. This paper addresses the lack of longitudinal data needed for such analyses by using a dynamic model with repeated cross-sectional data. We are able to relate the reading literacy skills of students in the same cohort who participated in two international assessments at different ages (9/10 and 15/16) and thus identify when educational gaps emerge in terms of gender, socio-economic status and place of birth. Our results suggest that educational inequalities in Spain originate at the lowest educational levels. These results underline the importance of early intervention to improve performance during compulsory education and to tackle educational inequalities.

Reference:

Choi, A; Gil, M.; Mediavilla, M.; Valvuena, J. (2018): The evolution of educational inequalities in Spain: dynamic evidence from repeated cross-sections, Social Indicators Research, 138, pp. 853-887. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-017-1701-6