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Does ordinal class rank matter for student achievement?

Wedel, Katharina LU (2018) NEKN01 20181
Department of Economics
Abstract
Factors influencing and improving a student’s academic attainments, in particular, test
scores, are an essential concern for academics as well as policymakers. In this thesis, I add
a student’s ordinal rank, calculated from underlying test scores, as a new input factor to the
education production function. By using experimental data on primary schools in the United
States, I assess whether the ordinal rank affects a student’s test scores in mathematics and reading
as well as the promotion to the next grade. I find that a higher ordinal rank in mathematics
significantly improves test scores in that subject. The effect of the reading rank on reading test
scores is positive, but not statistically different from zero. The ordinal rank... (More)
Factors influencing and improving a student’s academic attainments, in particular, test
scores, are an essential concern for academics as well as policymakers. In this thesis, I add
a student’s ordinal rank, calculated from underlying test scores, as a new input factor to the
education production function. By using experimental data on primary schools in the United
States, I assess whether the ordinal rank affects a student’s test scores in mathematics and reading
as well as the promotion to the next grade. I find that a higher ordinal rank in mathematics
significantly improves test scores in that subject. The effect of the reading rank on reading test
scores is positive, but not statistically different from zero. The ordinal rank also exerts a positive,
but insignificant impact on the probability of getting promoted to the next grade. Potential
channels through which the rank effect might work are presented. Such channels might consist
of a student’s intrinsic factors like self-confidence and motivation, but also of a student’s social
environment like parents and teachers. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Wedel, Katharina LU
supervisor
organization
course
NEKN01 20181
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
Ordinal rank, student achievement, education
language
English
id
8947708
date added to LUP
2018-07-03 14:21:11
date last changed
2018-07-03 14:21:11
@misc{8947708,
  abstract     = {{Factors influencing and improving a student’s academic attainments, in particular, test
scores, are an essential concern for academics as well as policymakers. In this thesis, I add
a student’s ordinal rank, calculated from underlying test scores, as a new input factor to the
education production function. By using experimental data on primary schools in the United
States, I assess whether the ordinal rank affects a student’s test scores in mathematics and reading
as well as the promotion to the next grade. I find that a higher ordinal rank in mathematics
significantly improves test scores in that subject. The effect of the reading rank on reading test
scores is positive, but not statistically different from zero. The ordinal rank also exerts a positive,
but insignificant impact on the probability of getting promoted to the next grade. Potential
channels through which the rank effect might work are presented. Such channels might consist
of a student’s intrinsic factors like self-confidence and motivation, but also of a student’s social
environment like parents and teachers.}},
  author       = {{Wedel, Katharina}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Does ordinal class rank matter for student achievement?}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}