Statistical Modelling 10 (2010), 333–351
Quantile regression analysis of the Italian school system
Marilena Furno
Department of Economics,
Università di Cassino
Italy
eMail: furnoma@tin.it
Abstract:
We analyze the score on a reading literacy test of 15-year-old Italian
students. The data depict a fracture in the Italian school system. By means
of quantile regressions (QR) and by repeatedly implementing a QR-based test
for structural break, computed in different sub-samples and at various
quantiles, we can not only pin down the determinants of the gap but also
rank them. We find that the difference in curricula is the main factor in
explaining the gap in the students’ scores, and the regional difference is
linked to structural and behavioural variables, like poor library facilities
and student absenteeism, both mirroring the economic lag of the southern
Italian regions. In terms of policy actions, curbing absenteeism in the south
could help reduce the regional gap. If instead the target is to enhance
excellence, funds could be directed towards academic track and/or north-centre
regions.
Keywords:
quantile regression; structural break; test
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