Fundamental determinants of school efficiency and equity: German states as a microcosm for OECD countries

Arbeitspapier

Cross-country evidence on student achievement might be hampered by omitted country characteristics such as language or legal differences. This paper uses cross-state variation in Germany, whose sixteen states share the same language and legal system, but pursue different education policies. The same results found previously across countries hold within Germany: Higher mean student performance is associated with central exams, private school operation, and socio-economic background, but not with spending, while higher equality of opportunity is associated with reduced tracking. In a model that pools German states with OECD countries, these fundamental determinants do not differ significantly between the two samples.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 2880

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft
• Subject: Bildungsniveau ; Bildungspolitik ; Bildungschancen ; Wirtschaftliche Effizienz ; Teilstaat ; Deutschland ; Vergleich ; OECD-Staaten

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Wößmann, Ludger
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2007

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/34540
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET