Untracked or off-track? Inequality of educational opportunity and comprehensive schools in Germany
Final Report Abstract
The aim of the project was to investigate inequality of educational opportunity in the current German tracking system, where comprehensive schools (Intergrierte Gesamtschule) coexist with the traditional tracks. Due to its early termination, the project was focused onto two specific research questions: (i) whether comprehensive schools divert students away from the Gymnasium track and what are the implications for social inequality in the transition from primary to secondary schooling; (ii) whether the increased availability of comprehensive schools and vocational high schools (Berufliches Gymnasium) increased Abitur attainment rates. To address the first research question, I analyzed data from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), starting cohorts 3 (grade 5) and 4 (grade 9). Preliminary results confirm that a diversion from the Gymnasium track is taking place, especially for low-achieving children of upper-class parents, who appear to take disproportionately advantage of comprehensive schools as an alternative route towards the university-entrance certificate. These findings are in line with rationalchoice arguments and with previous studies on second-chance education. To address the first research question, in a joint work with Sönke Matthewes, we analyze countylevel administrative records on school supply, student enrollment and graduation rates for the school years 1996-2016. Descriptive results indicate that counties where the supply of the Intergrierte Gesamtschule or the Berufliches Gymnasium is higher also have higher Abitur attainment rates. However, when exploiting differential increases in the supply of these schools between counties in a difference-in-differences (DD) framework, we find no evidence for a positive effect of comprehensive schools, while vocational high schools have a clear positive effect on attainment rates. We come to similar conclusions when instrumenting comprehensive school supply with historical election data. These findings are in line with recent developments of the neo-institutional literature that highlight how institutional layering can result not only in change but also in stability.
