nep-edu 2019-02-25 papers

on Education

Issue of 2019‒02‒25
two papers chosen by
Marco Novarese
Università del Piemonte Orientale

Early School Exposure, Test Scores, and Noncognitive Outcomes By Thomas Cornelissen; Christian Dustmann
The Long-Term Effect of Age at School Entry on Competencies in Adulthood By Katja Görlitz; Merlin Penny; Marcus Tamm

Early School Exposure, Test Scores, and Noncognitive Outcomes

By:	Thomas Cornelissen (Department of Economics, University of York, and Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM)); Christian Dustmann (Department of Economics, University College London and CReAM)
Abstract:	We estimate the effects of receiving additional schooling before age 5 on cognitive and noncognitive outcomes, exploiting unique school entry rules in England that cause variation in the age at school entry and the effective length of the first school year, and combining survey data with administrative school records up to 6 years after exposure. We find significant effects on both cognitive and noncognitive outcomes at ages 5 and 7, particularly so for boys with a disadvantaged parental background. At age 11, effects on cognitive outcomes have disappeared, while there is still evidence for effects on noncognitive outcomes.
Keywords:	Returns to early schooling, school entry age, child development
JEL:	J13
Date:	2019–02
URL:	http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:crm:wpaper:1903&r=all

The Long-Term Effect of Age at School Entry on Competencies in Adulthood

By:	Katja Görlitz; Merlin Penny; Marcus Tamm
Abstract:	The previous literature has shown that children who enter school at a more advanced age outperform their younger classmates on competency tests taken between kindergarten and Grade 10. This study analyzes whether these effects of school starting age continue into adulthood. Based on data on math and language test scores for adults in Germany, the identification of the long-term causal effects exploits state and year variation in school entry regulations. The results show that there are no effects of school starting age (SSA) on competencies in math and text comprehension. However, the long-term SSA effect is sizable on receptive vocabulary.
Keywords:	School starting age, education, cognitive competencies, instrumental variable estimates
JEL:	I21 J21 J31
Date:	2019
URL:	http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp1789&r=all

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