Do Peer Groups Matter? Peer Group versus Schooling Effects on Academic Attainment

(2003) - Donald Robertson, James Symons

Journal: Economica
Link:: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/1468-0335.t01-1-00270
DOI:: 10.1111/1468-0335.t01-1-00270
Links::
Tags:: #paper #NCDS #Attainment
Cite Key:: [@Robertson2003]

Abstract

This paper estimates an educational production function. Educational attainment is a function of peer group, parental input and schooling. Conventional measures of school quality are not good predictors for academic attainment, once we control for peer group effects; parental qualities also have strong effects on academic attainment. This academic attainment is a then a key determinant of subsequent labour market success, as measured by earnings. The main methodological innovation in this paper is the nomination of a set of instruments, very broad regions of birth, which, as a whole, pass close scrutiny for validity and permit unbiased estimation of the production function.

Notes

“once we control for peer group effects; parental qualities also have strong effects on academic attainment” (Robertson and Symons, 2003, p. 31)