A paper examined gender-related differences in performance at age 16, and possible explanations for the underachievement of boys relative to girls. The 'gender gap' was found to be primarily driven by performance differentials in English. It was not related to whether a school performed well or poorly, or by any of the leading observable school characteristics. The authors concluded that the source was not within-school practice, and that policy directed at improving such practice may therefore be misplaced.
Source: Simon Burgess, Brendon McConnell, Carol Propper and Deborah Wilson, Girls Rock, Boys Roll: Analysis of the age 14-16 gender gap in English schools, Working Paper 03/084, Centre for Market and Public Organisation/University of Bristol (0117 954 6943)
Links: Paper (pdf)
Date: 2003-Aug
A paper examined patterns of attainment of boys and girls at different stages of their secondary education, and investigated the factors affecting pupil outcomes. A consistent picture was found of boys underachieving relative to their female peers: this gender gap widened between the ages of 14 and 16. Grammar schools outperformed comprehensives and secondary moderns for both boys and girls at both KS3 and GCSE. But this was not the case when a measure of the value added was considered by different school types between these two stages: for example, comprehensives added more value on average than grammar schools for female pupils. (KS = Key Stage; GCSE = General Certificate of Secondary Education)
Source: Adele Atkinson and Deborah Wilson, Measuring Pupil Attainment in English Secondary Schools: Preliminary analysis, Working Paper 03/063, Centre for Market and Public Organisation/University of Bristol (0117 954 6943)
Links: Paper (pdf)
Date: 2003-Aug
A paper explored possible explanations for the fact that the rate of return to schooling appeared to be nearly two percentage points greater for females than for males - despite the fact that females tended to earn less, both absolutely and after controlling for personal characteristics.
Source: Christopher Dougherty, Why is the Rate of Return to Schooling Higher for Women than for Men?, DP581, Centre for Economic Performance/London School of Economics (020 7955 7673)
Links: Paper (pdf) | Abstract
Date: 2003-Aug