Can skills differences explain the gap in track recommendation by socio-economic status?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Tracking early in the school career can significantly influence a student's educational path. Using data from a Dutch cohort study linked with administrative records, we examine the gap in track recommendation between students from different socio-economic groups at the end of primary school. We find that students whose parents are not tertiary educated receive significantly lower recommendations on average. A decomposition of the total difference in track recommendations shows that differences in cognitive and non-cognitive skills can explain around 57% of the gap. Adding additional information about the family, school, and place of residence reduces the unexplained gap to 28%.