Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/225281 
Year of Publication: 
2020
Series/Report no.: 
ZEW Discussion Papers No. 20-053
Publisher: 
ZEW - Leibniz-Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung, Mannheim
Abstract: 
We show that in school systems with grade retention or redshirting, birth cohort size is negatively related to the grade-level share of students who are too old for their grade. This compositional effect gives rise to an upward bias in estimates of class size effects based on commonly used research designs exploiting within-school variation in birth cohort size. Using data for all primary schools in one federal state of Germany, we find support for this compositional effect. Correcting for the resulting bias, we find that not only are smaller classes beneficial for test scores, but also for reducing grade repetitions.
Subjects: 
Class size effects
Quasi-experimental evidence
Student achievement
Primary school
JEL: 
I20
I21
I29
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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