To leave or not to leave? A regression discontinuity analysis of the impact of failing the High School exit exam

Ou, Dongshu (2009) To leave or not to leave? A regression discontinuity analysis of the impact of failing the High School exit exam. CEP Discussion Papers (CEPDP0907). London School of Economics and Political Science. Centre for Economic Performance, London, UK.

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Abstract

The high school exit exam (HSEE) is rapidly becoming a standardized assessment procedure for educational accountability in the United States. I use a unique state-specific dataset to identify the effect of failing the HSEE on the likelihood that a student drops out early based on a Regression Discontinuity design. It shows that students who barely fail the exam are more likely to exit than those who barely pass despite being offered retest opportunities. The discontinuity amounts to a large proportion of the dropout probability of barely-failers, particularly for minority and low-income students, suggesting that the potential benefit of raising educational standards might come at the cost of increasing inequalities in the educational system.

Item Type:	Monograph (Discussion Paper)
Official URL:	http://cep.lse.ac.uk/_new/publications/series.asp?...
Additional Information:	© 2009 The Author
Divisions:	Centre for Economic Performance
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1603 Secondary Education. High schools
JEL classification:	I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education > I21 - Analysis of Education I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education > I28 - Government Policy J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J2 - Time Allocation, Work Behavior, and Employment Determination and Creation; Human Capital; Retirement > J24 - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
Date Deposited:	08 Aug 2013 15:08
Last Modified:	15 Sep 2023 23:19
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/51589

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