Tracking Can Be More Equitable than Mixing
18 Pages Posted: 23 Sep 2014
Date Written: October 2014
Abstract
Parents and policy‐makers often wonder whether and how the choice of a tracked or mixed educational system affects the equality of opportunity. I answer this question by analyzing the influence of peers on future educational results. I define an equal opportunity policy as one that maximizes the average lifetime income of the worst‐off type of individuals in society (i.e., students from disadvantaged backgrounds). I find that tracking maximizes average lifetime income if the opportunity cost of college attendance is sufficiently high.
Keywords: College attendance, equality of opportunity, grouping policies, peer effects
JEL Classification: D63, I28, J24
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
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Tracking Can Be More Equitable than Mixing
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