Wage and test score dispersion: some international evidence

Bedard, Kelly; Ferrall, Christopher

doi:10.1016/s0272-7757(01)00060-7

Cited by 46 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Using a wider Some studies have linked student competences assessed during high school with income inequality. Bedard and Ferrall (2003) show a positive association between inequality in mathematics performance during high school and wage inequality in adulthood of the same birth cohorts. Moreover, the association was hardly affected by including trade union density as an indicator of (wage-compressing) wage centralization.…”

Section: Education Inequality and Earnings Inequalitymentioning

confidence: 83%

Policies, skills and earnings: how educational inequality affects earnings inequality

Checchi

Werfhorst

2017

Socio-Economic Review

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We study the impact of dispersions in education (both in student test scores and final educational attainment) on earnings inequality, in a country-cohort design. Neo-classical economic theory would predict a positive association between skill inequality (as measured in student test scores) and earnings inequality, while educational attainment inequality adds little on top of skills inequality. A sociological theory of social closure, however, argues that inequality in educational attainment is more important than skills inequality in the prediction of earnings inequality. Using educational policies as instruments, we find causal effects of skills inequality and educational attainment inequality, suggesting that a simple human capital model is insufficient to explain rising earnings inequalities. Nevertheless, skills inequality appeared a more important predictor of earnings inequality than educational attainment inequality. Some educational policy reforms (like public preschool provision or introducing standardised tests) led to reduced educational dispersions, and thereby reduced earnings inequality in adulthood.

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Section: Education Inequality and Earnings Inequalitymentioning

confidence: 83%

Policies, skills and earnings: how educational inequality affects earnings inequality

Checchi

Werfhorst

2017

Socio-Economic Review

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“…As a major result, Bedard and Ferrall (1997) find that the wage dispersion is generally lower than the test score dispersion across countries as well as over time. There is a negative correlation between wage and skill dispersion.…”

Section: Major Results Referring To Germanymentioning

confidence: 94%

“…In a further cross-country analysis, Bedard and Ferrall (1997) use data on eleven countries (including West Germany), where information on test score dispersion comes from the First (1962) and Second (1982) International Mathematics Examinations (IME) and data documenting the cohort's wages later in life comes from the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) and national panel studies they do not specify in detail. The IME data includes information on the following countries: Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, West Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Ontario, the U.K., and the U.S.A.…”

Section: The Data Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Education and Wage Inequality in Germany: A Review of the Empirical Literature

Ammermüller

Wéber

2003

SSRN Journal

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Die Discussion Papers dienen einer möglichst schnellen Verbreitung von neueren Forschungsarbeiten des ZEW. Die Beiträge liegen in alleiniger Verantwortung der Autoren und stellen nicht notwendigerweise die Meinung des ZEW dar.Discussion Papers are intended to make results of ZEW research promptly available to other economists in order to encourage discussion and suggestions for revisions. The authors are solely responsible for the contents which do not necessarily represent the opinion of the ZEW.Download this ZEW Discussion Paper from our ftp server:ftp://ftp.zew.de/pub/zew-docs/dp/dp0329.pdf Nontechnical SummaryThis paper reviews the empirical evidence on the link between education and wage inequality in Germany. Due to the positive relationship between education and wages, policy-makers think of education as an efficient instrument to reduce wage inequality, especially by improving the position of the least skilled. However, the possible channels of interaction between the level and spread of education and the wage distribution have hardly been investigated so far.Summarizing the existing literature leads to the conclusion that there is a relative stability in wage inequality in Germany, both between and within educational levels, as well as in the returns to education. Most changes occurred in East Germany, where the wage distribution widened in the years following reunification, particularly for women.The inequality in education has decreased, especially through the rise in the educational participation of children from disadvantaged social backgrounds. At the same time, the average educational attainment has risen, with a fall in the percentage of low educated and a rising proportion of highly educated individuals.Returns to education are found to be slightly decreasing along the conditional wage distribution, which suggests that an increase in the general level of educational attainment should benefit the low wage earners comparatively more. As no drastic changes occurred in the distributions of education and wages over the last decade, however, the relative importance of the effect of the distribution of education upon wage inequality is difficult to identify.Scope for further research includes an analysis of the link between education and wage inequality for different cohorts and for the most recent data. Moreover, evidence on the direct link between the distribution of wages and the distribution of education is scarce in Germany. In particular, studies relating the distribution and the development of cognitive skills, instead of formal schooling, to wages hardly exist. Education and Wage Inequality in Germany - A Review of the Empirical LiteratureAndreas Ammermüller and Andrea Maria WeberAbstract: This paper reviews the current state of knowledge on the link between education and wage inequality in Germany. The wage inequality is characterized by its stability, although a more detailed analysis reveals structural differences, especially between East and West Germany. Both the between and within educati...

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“…Accordingly, inequality in education achievement and earning inequality are correlated, within the United States and across countries [26,27]. Majority of key informants in the study agreed that in both regions, there is a high level of educational inequality in most schools in form of economic status.…”

Section: Educational Inequality and Quality Of Life After Schoolmentioning

confidence: 94%

Educational Inequality and Quality of Life: A Comparative Study of Secondary Schools in Central and Northern Uganda

Naamara¹,

Nabasumba²,

Nabadda³

2017

Arts Social Sci J

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Objective: Drawing on a comparative analysis from central and northern regions of Uganda, we identified the factors that are associated with educational inequality and quality of life in secondary schools in both regions. Methods:Our sample comprised of 358 students and 72 key informants, primary data were mainly collected through interviews and structured questionnaires. Thematic analysis of qualitative data was done by identifying common themes based on the objectives of the study, while quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results:Most of the factors that were identified applied to both regions as the central region has a significant number or people from other parts of the country including the northern region. However, some factors were more prevalent in the northern region. Among the factors that were found to bring about inequality in both regions included gender-based inequality, family economic status and policy related factors. Conclusion:Overall, the study concluded that the central region is better equipped to offer quality education due to availability of a better infrastructure and staff remuneration, however, efforts are being made to improve the quality of education in the northern region as well.

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Wage and test score dispersion: some international evidence

Cited by 46 publications

References 15 publications

Policies, skills and earnings: how educational inequality affects earnings inequality

Policies, skills and earnings: how educational inequality affects earnings inequality

Education and Wage Inequality in Germany: A Review of the Empirical Literature

Educational Inequality and Quality of Life: A Comparative Study of Secondary Schools in Central and Northern Uganda

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