Outcomes

The inter-relationships between the demand and supply sides of the education market impact on the sorting of pupils as well as on their educational outcomes. Peer group formation is fundamental to both. The projects in this part of the theme represent both methodological development and the provision of empirical evidence, exploiting and building on existing CMPO expertise in this area. They will enable more sophisticated measurement of the spatial patterns that result from such complex sorting mechanisms, as well as one way to track these and measure their impact on pupil outcomes.

Analysing the joint dynamics of school composition, neighbourhood composition and school outcomes (Simon Burgess, Deborah Wilson, Roland Fryer (Harvard))

This project aims to understand the inter-related dynamics of school composition, neighbourhood composition and school attainment. We will use Echenique and Fryer’s network-based index of segregation. Little is known about changes in school and neighbourhood composition from large-scale representative data, or the drivers for change. By 2012, 10 years of the pupil-level census PLASC will be available for this analysis. We will ask how the patterns of families moving through the school age years changes school and neighbourhood segregation and composition. We will model specific cohorts as they pass through compulsory schooling and track the evolution of school and neighbourhood composition in given areas.

A statistical framework for measuring and modeling the dynamics of segregation (Simon Burgess, Frank Windmeijer, Rebecca Allen (IoE))

The statistical framework for measuring and modeling segregation is surprisingly underdeveloped, particularly given the importance of segregation in a number of academic and policy debates. Our previous work set up such a framework based around the concept of an assignment mechanism. We plan to extend this work, focusing on the issues involved in dynamic modeling and understanding changes or differences in segregation.

Where are the local markets for schools? Understanding the geographies of school choice (Rich Harris)

 Using custom-written software to model the ‘core catchments’ of schools, the objective of this project is to look at the spatial configurations of schools’ admissions spaces and to identify the local markets within which the schools compete. This geographical knowledge can then be built into models of ethnic segregation and social polarization. In addition, working with the Centre for Multilevel modeling at Bristol, it can be used to assess the evidence for school competition affecting pupils’ learning progress.

School choice, school assignment and neighbourhood segregation (Simon Burgess, Deborah Wilson)

Our previous research has demonstrated the link between the nature of school assignment and the social segregation of schools and neighbourhoods. Our understanding of this process can be greatly enhanced by studying it given different assignment rules in different, through comparable, countries. Whilst we will look into a role for the OECDwide databases such as PISA, it seems likely to be more fruitful to focus in depth on a small number of countries with datasets similar to the PLASC/NPD we have used in the UK. Given a head start through our existing contacts, we will seek out such databases and make new international links to facilitate this research. The most promising avenues are Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and some states in the US.