Identifying peer achievement spillovers: Implications for desegregation and the achievement gap

Fruehwirth, Jane Cooley

doi:10.3982/qe93

Cited by 72 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Then, I examine deeper the implications of conformity. In line with much of the previous literature (see Hoxby and Weingarth, 2005;Sacerdote, 2011, andFruehwirth, 2013), I verify that endogenous social effects are indeed heterogeneous. Students placed at the upper quantiles of the ability distribution experience interdependencies more intensely than those at the median or the lower quantile.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 74%

“…Overall, the magnitude of the endogenous parameter estimates reveal that average peer achievement spillovers are more intense for students at the 75th and 90th quantiles in the three subjects. The results in Table 4 are in line with much of the literature that favors heterogeneous social interactions (see Sacerdote, 2011, for a comprehensive review and results in Fruehwirth, 2013).…”

Section: Which Students Matter?supporting

confidence: 80%

“…The findings suggest that regrouping or reassigning students (see Fruehwirth, 2014) according to observable predetermined traits, e.g. immigration background, are not valid policies in the case of the German educational system.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Thus, in principle performance in any course is interdependent with performance in the rest of the courses. Fruehwirth (2014) emphasizes that peer achievement masks unobserved characteristics. To partially control for individual preferences and efforts in the three subjects, I estimate the simultaneous effect of own scores in the other two subjects by means of a nonrecursive system of equations.…”

Section: Inside Peers' Averagementioning

confidence: 99%

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Endogenous Social Interactions: Which Peers Matter?

Tatsi

2015

SSRN Journal

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Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in EconStor may AbstractThis paper compares endogenous social interactions models to determine which one fits the classroom reality best. The analysis uses data from German 9th-graders and considers the effect of the best and worst peers' scores, the peers' sum and peers' average scores on own achievement. Although each model seems plausible when estimated separately, comparison and a selection test point to the classmates' average model, meaning that group-based policies are effective. The worst peers' model comes second, followed by the best peers' and the sum of peers' models. Examination of different-ability students' responses to increases of average peer achievement reveals either competition for the first place or last-place aversion. Conditional on own course preferences, own and peer characteristics, spillovers transmit only through cognitive ability. Therefore, regrouping on the basis of characteristics such as immigration background is obsolete. Policies should aim at low achievers in small enough classrooms because only then single-student influences can change the social norm. By improving the average through the worst, the best become even brighter.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 74%

Section: Which Students Matter?supporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Inside Peers' Averagementioning

confidence: 99%

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Endogenous Social Interactions: Which Peers Matter?

Tatsi

2015

SSRN Journal

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“…Unfortunately, there is little direct evidence about the channels through which peer effects arise. Notably, while it is recognized that in many educational contexts a student's peers might have an influence by affecting the student's effort (see, e.g., Cooley Fruehwirth ), virtually no direct evidence exists about the empirical importance of this “effort” channel. This lack of evidence can largely be attributed to a lack of ideal data.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time‐use and Academic Peer Effects in College

Mehta

Stinebrickner

2018

Economic Inquiry

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This paper examines academic peer effects in college. Unique new data from the Berea Panel Study allow us to focus on a mechanism wherein a student's peers affect her achievement by changing her study effort. Although the potential relevance of this mechanism has been recognized, data limitations have made it difficult to provide direct evidence about its importance. We find that a student's freshman grade point average is affected by the amount her peers studied in high school, suggesting the importance of this mechanism. Using time diary information, we confirm that college study time is actually being affected. (JEL I20, F21, J01)

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Diversity Associated With Reductions in the Achievement Gap: Data Mining the 2010–2011 New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK)

Hanson

Saunders

Aponte³

et al. 2020

ETS Research Report Series

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The academic achievement gap is a persistent and pernicious educational challenge confounded with race and socioeconomic status. The achievement gap persists despite over three decades of interventions and federal, state, and local policies and initiatives meant to close it. We examine the achievement gap in one of the most diverse states in the United States, New Jersey. Across the 480 school districts in New Jersey, the school district racial makeup varies from almost complete segregation to high diversity. Using data‐mining techniques on the statewide standardized test, the 2010–2011 New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK) standard language arts literacy and mathematics, we found that test scores increased with increasing diversity. In particular, the achievement gap between Black and White third grade students was lower by more than 60% in racially diverse districts when compared to racially homogeneous districts. This result is consistent with theories of peer spillover effects that implicate peer racial diversity in reducing the achievement gap. A cluster analysis of New Jersey school districts revealed eight common profiles, which could inform school policy and practice aimed at improving school performance and closing the achievement gap.

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Identifying peer achievement spillovers: Implications for desegregation and the achievement gap

Cited by 72 publications

References 37 publications

Endogenous Social Interactions: Which Peers Matter?

Endogenous Social Interactions: Which Peers Matter?

Time‐use and Academic Peer Effects in College

Diversity Associated With Reductions in the Achievement Gap: Data Mining the 2010–2011 New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK)

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