The Equalization Potential of Schools: Does Schooling Increase or Reduce Socioeconomic Inequality in Student Achievement and Conscientiousness in Both Primary and Lower Secondary Education?

Abstract

A growing literature has established that schooling either decreases social gaps in achievement or contributes equally to student achievement. Yet, most studies only consider the early years of schooling, and focus on achievement, with little known about whether the same applies to other outcomes. I apply a differential exposure approach to address the role of schooling for student outcomes, using test scores from a biennial mandatory reading test in all Danish public schools (grades 2–8) and a self-reported survey measure of conscientiousness from an annual mandatory school survey (grades 0–8) combined with Danish administrative register data. Results show that school-exposure improves student achievement, but also reduces conscientiousness. I find that schooling reduces the social gap in achievement in second grade and the gap in conscientiousness in eighth grade. Additionally, the results suggest that schooling reduces the achievement gap for second-generation immigrants while increasing the gender gap in achievement.