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Previous research has shown that track mobility during secondary education is influenced by parental background. However, family background effects might vary due to institutional variations in the educational structure. Therefore, in our paper we compare social selectivity of track mobility in two countries, Germany and The Netherlands. Both countries offer a hierarchically tracked educational system, but differ in details. Further, both countries established educational reforms in the late sixties, changing the conditions for track mobility differently. In our empirical analyses using data from the Family Survey Dutch Population and the German Life History Study we find that changing to a higher track is more likely for students who face the threat of status demotion, whereas changing to a lower track is independent of status maintenance motives. Intra-secondary transitions occur less often in The Netherlands than in Germany and are less motivated by status maintenance. Educational legislation reduces the effects of relative education of the parents only on upward mobility in Germany and only on downward mobility in The Netherlands.

"In zahlreichen Studien zeigt sich der Einfluss von Risikobereitschaft auf individuelles Verhalten in unterschiedlichen Bereichen wie etwa Rauchen, Portfolioinvestitionen und auch Bildungsentscheidungen. Es gibt jedoch kaum Evidenz darüber, ob und welchen Einfluss Risikoeinstellungen von Eltern auf das Bildungsverhalten von Kindern ausüben. In der vorliegenden Studie untersuchen wir nun die Auswirkungen der elterlichen Risikoeinstellung auf die Sekundärschulwahl von Kindern. Die Ergebnisse deuten auf keinen großen Einfluss der väterlichen Risikoeinstellung hin, jedoch auf substantiell negative Auswirkungen mütterlicher Risikoaversion auf die Wahl des Gymnasiums." (Autorenreferat)

AbstractEducational aspirations can be regarded as a predictor of final educational attainment, rendering this construct highly relevant for analysing the development of educational inequalities in panel data settings. In the context of the German tracked secondary school system, we analysed school-track effects on the development of educational aspirations. Using data from five consecutive waves of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), we selected a sample of high-performing students with initially high aspirations. Our results indicate that pupils in the nonacademic track or with a low social origin tend to lower their aspirations significantly more often than pupils in the academic track or pupils with a high social origin. With mediation analyses, we demonstrate that these differences can be attributed to learning environments at the school level. We also show that the downward adjustment of aspirations in the nonacademic track is less pronounced for students from highly educated families than for students from low-education family backgrounds.

This paper examines the effects of increasing the compulsory school leaving (CSL) age from 16 to 18 in Hungary using a regression discontinuity design (RDD) identification strategy. The new CSL age was introduced for those entering their first year of elementary school in 1998. Identification is based on compliance with the age of elementary school start rule. Compliance with the age rule creates a discontinuity in the probability of starting school under the higher CSL age regime around a cutoff date of birth. The treated cohort had known about the change since age 6. This fact allows for testing on how the increase affected forward-looking decision making about secondary school track choice which occurs at age 14. The legislation change resulted in an increased probability that children would choose the academic high school track instead of vocational training schools. At the same time, those choosing vocational training schools are more likely to drop out under the higher CSL age scheme. Potential explanations of increased dropout rates include a decrease in the quality of teaching in vocational training schools due to supply constraints, and a shift in student composition to include more students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

The German schooling system selects children into different secondary school tracks already at a very early stage in life. School track choice heavily influences choices and opportunities later in life. It has often been observed that secondary schooling achievements display a strong correlation with parental income.We use sibling fixed effects models and information on a natural experiment in order to analyze whether this correlation is due to a causal effect of income or due to unobservable factors that themselves might be correlated across generations. Our main findings suggest that income has no positive causal effect on school choice and that differences between high- and low-income households are driven by unobserved heterogeneity, e.g. differences in motivation.

Upper secondary school years have been considered as a critical period for attracting students into future science-related majors and careers; yet, Cambodia is facing a worrisome decline trend in the students' choice of science track. Through the lens of the making of engineers and scientists conceptual framework, the study aims to investigate the factors affecting Cambodian upper secondary school students' choice of science track. With self-rating questionnaire survey, which randomly covered 751 11th graders in nine upper secondary schools in three provinces of Cambodia, the researcher collected data on three significant factors namely individual ability and personality, family background and encouragement, and upper secondary school experience and support. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that performance in science and mathematics subjects, attitude towards science, plan to major in STEM, time spent self-studying in science and mathematics subjects, family encouragement, mother's education, and school location significantly predicted students' choice of science track. Some important implications for pedagogical orientation were also discussed.

Efficiency of educational institutions is a significant issue worldwide. However, there is no commonly accepted way to measure the quality of management of education services. Mainly because it too much depends on the national factors: political, economic or legal. Moreover, it has been proved that the efficiency of the school's teaching is affected directly by the environmental factor represented by selected characteristics of students. Therefore, taking into account value-added students' knowledge rather than absolute exam results changes evaluation of the schools' efficiency. The article contribute in international discussions about future of evaluation the quality of management in educational sector. In the article the model of evaluation Polish lower secondary schools' management taking into account local and environmental context is proposed. On the basis of Bialystok's schools, author shows that the implementation of DEA could be useful and provides additional knowledge about the efficiency of management in educational institutions.

Efficiency of educational institutions is a significant issue worldwide. However, there is no commonly accepted way to measure the quality of management of education services. Mainly because it too much depends on the national factors: political, economic or legal. Moreover, it has been proved that the efficiency of the school's teaching is affected directly by the environmental factor represented by selected characteristics of students. Therefore, taking into account value-added students' knowledge rather than absolute exam results changes evaluation of the schools' efficiency. The article contribute in international discussions about future of evaluation the quality of management in educational sector. In the article the model of evaluation Polish lower secondary schools' management taking into account local and environmental context is proposed. On the basis of Bialystok's schools, author shows that the implementation of DEA could be useful and provides additional knowledge about the efficiency of management in educational institutions.