Schooling inequality on standardized test scores and extended journey: an analysis of Pernambuco (Brazil) high school public system

Abstract

This paper analyzes the relationship between full-time journeys and schooling inequality in Pernambuco, Brazil. Using standardized test scores on the school level, we tested the inverted u-curve hypothesis proposed initially by Simon Kuznets in 1955 and adapted with a focus on schooling expansion and inequality by Rati Ram in 1990. We build a panel data analysis to perform the test, with data aggregated by region and scores on standardized tests as the output variable. Initially, the hypotheses described an inverted U-curve correlating schooling effectiveness and inequality. However, we have found that the relationship follows a regular U shape. It is also inferable that the equity of the result is more connected to the effects of the diversity of school typology, the location of schools, and the way the region is developed.