Journal Article

The effects of competition between schools on educational outcomes

Belfield, Clive R., Levin, Henry M.

2002

Overview

This article systematically reviews U.S. evidence from cross-sectional research on educational outcomes when schools must compete with each other. Competition typically is measured by using either the Herfindahl Index or the enrollment rate at an alternative school choice. Outcomes are academic test scores, graduation/attainment, expenditures/efficiency, teacher quality, students' post-school wages, and local housing prices. The sampling strategy identified more than 41 relevant empirical studies. A sizable majority report beneficial effects of competition, and many report statistically significant correlations. For each study, the effect size of an increase of competition by one standard deviation is reported. The positive gains from competition are modest in scope with respect to realistic changes in levels of competition. The review also notes several methodological challenges and recommends caution in reasoning from point estimates to public policy. (DIPF/Orig.).

• Publisher: American Educational Research Association,Sage Publications
• Subject: Academic Achievement / Achievement Gains / Bildungsmarkt / Competition / Economic competition / Education / Educational Attainment / Educational Change / Educational evaluation / Educational policy / Educational Quality / Educational sciences / Effizienz / Elementary Secondary Education / Forschungsstand / High school students / Kosten / Leistung / Literaturbericht / Nontraditional Education / North America / Outcomes of Education / Policy, reform, legislation / Private schools / Public schools / Reasoning / School choice / School enrollment / Schools / Schulabschluss / Schule / Schulwahl / Schüler / Schülerleistung / Standard deviation / Standardized Tests / Statistical significance / Teachers / Test scores / United States / USA / Wettbewerb