PISA 2009: AN ANALYSIS OF THE DIFFERENCES IN TEST SCORES ACROSS REGIONS IN SPAIN
JUAN GUERRA GARCIA, JUNE 2012
Wednesday 19 December 2012, by Carlos San Juan
Since the implementation of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in the year 2000, Spain has had results below the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average. Data shows there are big differences in PISA results across some of the regions in Spain. The analysis we have performed proves family background and individual characteristics have an important effect on the student’s achievements and are part of the explanation for differences across regions. However, after controlling for these two factors, there is still statistically significant evidence for the difference in test scores between Madrid and some of the regions in the South. An innovative historical approach has been followed that incorporates literacy rates in 1900 to the analysis across regions. Results show a strong correlation between literacy rates at the beginning of the twentieth century and PISA test scores 110 years later. The correlation could be due to an intrinsic cultural component in individuals, affecting their incentives and preferences; interpreting literacy rates as a proxy for social institutions in 1900 could lead to another explanation, or it could be explained through the land inequality hypothesis and its impact on the accumulation of human capital.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION………………………………………………...………….. 4
• VARIABLES AND DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS …………….….….…… 5
• METHODOLOGY……………………………………….….….….………… 8
• ANALYSIS & RESULTS ….………………………….………………….… 10
• CONCLUSION …………………………………………………..….………. 17
• APPENDIX……………………………………...………………….……….. 19
• BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………..………..…………… 20