Abstract
Tracking programs have been criticized on the grounds that they harm disadvantaged children. The bulk of empirical research supports this view, but existing studies compare outcomes across students placed in different tracks. Track placement is likely to be endogenous with respect to student outcomes. We use a new strategy for overcoming the endogeneity of track placement and find no evidence that tracking hurts low-ability children. Previous studies have also been based on the assumption that students' enrollment decisions are unrelated to whether or not the school tracks. When we account for the possibility that tracking programs affect school choice, we find evidence that they may help low-ability children.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 497-514 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | Journal of Urban Economics |
| Volume | 51 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2002 |
Funding
1We appreciate the data and financial support of the U.S. De partme nt of Education, as we ll as helpful conversations with Laura Argys, Dominic Brewer, David Card, Dennis Epple, Larry Kenny, Dick Murnane, Dan Rees, Steve Rivkin, Rich Romano, and seminar participants at Berkeley, Columbia, Cornell, Florida, Oregon, Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology, South Florida, and SUNY–Albany, and the Econometric Society, APPAM, Population Association of America, and American Educational Finance Association meetings. Thanks to Jan Brueckner and an anonymous referee for helpful comments. The financial support of the National Science Foundation through Grant SBR-9816629 is gratefully acknowledged. This project was completed while Page was a Visiting Scholar at the Joint Center for Poverty Research.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Economics and Econometrics
- Urban Studies
