Hessel Oosterbeek, University of Amsterdam
Speaker: Hessel Oosterbeek, Professor of Economics, University of Amsterdam
Date: Friday, October 6th 2023
Tid: 12.30–13.30
Location: UiS Business School, Elise Ottesen-Jensen building, room EOJ 276/277
Join Zoom meeting: https://stavanger.zoom.us/j/62871825474?pwd=WHZKSnlSNHp6TmQwUTduMkdsR240dz09
Abstract
We combine data from the Amsterdam secondary-school match with register data and survey data to estimate the effects of not receiving an offer from one's first-ranked school on academic outcomes and on a wide range of other outcomes. For identification we use that secondary-school assignment in Amsterdam is based on the deferred acceptance mechanism with ties broken by lottery numbers. Losing the admission lottery for one's first-ranked school affects the characteristics of the assigned school, the home-school distance and the characteristics of teachers and peers. Despite the different school environment, we find no negative effects on academic outcomes, nor on any other outcome, including: time on homework, help with homework, attitudes towards school, awareness of parents, behavior inside school, behavior outside school, school satisfaction, civic engagement, having friends, and students' personality. It seems therefore that parents and students base school choices on characteristics of schools and peers and not on the effects of schools on outcomes.