Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/263634 
Year of Publication: 
2022
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 15418
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Socioeconomic (SES) gaps in academic achievement are well documented. We show that a very similar gap exists with respect to genetic differences measured by a polygenic score (PGS) for educational attainment. The genetic gap increases during elementary school, but only among the low SES children. Consequently, the high PGS children experience the largest achievement growth over the school years, even if they are born in socioeconomic disadvantage. While the SES gaps are partly due to selection into different environments, the high PGS children are simply better at extracting resources from a given environment because of higher conscientiousness and other predispositions.
Subjects: 
child development
academic achievement
genetics
ses gaps
elementary schools
public investments
iPSYCH
JEL: 
D10
I24
I26
J24
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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