The impact of attending an independent upper secondary school : Evidence from Sweden using school ranking data

• Since the 1990s, the Swedish education market has gone through a dramatic transformation due to the introduction of voucher-funded independent schools. We make use of data on school applications to condition on student preferences for independent versus public education, and estimate a positive relationship between independent upper secondary school attendance and grades, graduation rates, and post-secondary education. We however also find strong indications of more lenient grading standards in independent schools, especially in schools organized as for-profit entities and in schools with a low share of qualified teachers. Our results suggest that, although independent school attendance seems to benefit the individual students in terms of higher grades and increased transition to post-secondary studies, grade inflation in the Swedish upper secondary independent schools may be a serious problem.

Ämnesord

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Pedagogy (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Pedagogik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Nationalekonomi (hsv//swe)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv (hsv//swe)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business (hsv//eng)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Private provision

Mixed markets

Voucher school reform

Upper secondary education

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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