Does ordinal class rank matter for student achievement?
(2018) NEKN01 20181Department 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:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8947708
- author
- Wedel, Katharina LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- NEKN01 20181
- year
- 2018
- 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}}, }