Inequality in pupils' educational attainment: how much do family, sibling type and neighbourhood matter?

TY - JOUR

T1 - Inequality in pupils' educational attainment

T2 - how much do family, sibling type and neighbourhood matter?

AU - Nicoletti, Cheti

AU - Rabe, Birgitta

N1 - (accepted for publication)

PY - 2013/4

Y1 - 2013/4

N2 - We explore the relative influence of family and neighborhood on pupils’ test scores and how this varies by sibling type. Using English register data we find that the neighborhood explains at most 10-15% of the variance in pupils’ test scores, whereas the variance explained by family is between 44 and 54% at the end of primary school and between 47 and 61% at the end of compulsory schooling. The family influence is significantly higher for identical twins. It is also higher for fraternal twins than for non-twin siblings brought up at different times and therefore experiencing varying family circumstances.

AB - We explore the relative influence of family and neighborhood on pupils’ test scores and how this varies by sibling type. Using English register data we find that the neighborhood explains at most 10-15% of the variance in pupils’ test scores, whereas the variance explained by family is between 44 and 54% at the end of primary school and between 47 and 61% at the end of compulsory schooling. The family influence is significantly higher for identical twins. It is also higher for fraternal twins than for non-twin siblings brought up at different times and therefore experiencing varying family circumstances.

U2 - 10.1111/ecca.12010

DO - 10.1111/ecca.12010

M3 - Article

SN - 0013-0427

VL - 80

SP - 197

EP - 218

JO - Economica

JF - Economica

IS - 318

ER -