There is much public discussion but almost no evidence on the effects of high school curriculum on postsecondary education and on success in the labor market. I use the large variation in curriculum across US high schools to identify the effects on wages and educational attainment of specific courses of study. The main finding is that the return to additional courses in academic subject is small. One cannot account for the value of a year of high school with estimates of the value of the courses taken by the typical student during the year.
Schools across the country are ending the practice of grouping students based on ability, in part because of research indicating that tracking hurts low-ability students without helping students of other ability levels. Using a nationally representative survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the authors reexamine the impact of tracking on high school student achievement through the estimation of a standard education production function. This approach allows them to control for the possibility that track is correlated with factors such as class size and teacher education. In addition, the authors address the possibility that there are unobserved student or school characteristics that affect both achievement and track placement. The authors' results indicate that abolishing tracking in America's schools would have a large positive impact on achievement for students currently in the lower tracks, but that this increase in achievement would come at the expense of students in upper-track classes.
Talks about tracking in the US.
The book covers recent development of technical and general schools in Europe.
Apprenticeship varies greatly across countries, in terms of both quantity (numbers trained) and quality (skill content); and across sectors and occupations within countries, in terms of its provision and finance by employers. This chapter outlines recent advances in both areas. Some firms engage in apprenticeship training, others do not; some of those that do, invest in their apprentices, whereas others make a surplus on them. Despite the advances of the last two decades, there is as yet no “general theory” to explain the full range of financial attributes seen in practice within, let alone between, countries. Indeed recent theoretical efforts have focused excessively on specific circumstances in occupational labor markets, and neglected the potential sensitivity of their conclusions to changes in assumptions about labor markets, for both skilled workers and trainees. We also consider evaluations of the benefits of apprenticeship for individuals. Finally, the chapter considers the coordination mechanisms, principally employer bodies (associations, chambers) and employee representation and social partnership (trade unions, works councils, and joint regulatory bodies). Economic analysis indicates various ways in which such institutions may affect economic efficiency. Diversity of institutions across the countries with successful apprenticeship systems suggests, however, that there is no unique recipe for success.
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