Education essays: determinants of school success

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to identify some factors that contribute to the quality of education. In the first essay, the data from the last three editions of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) are used to assess the effect of Latin American schools on student performance and to identify the factors that contribute to their performance. Using the multilevel model as an empirical strategy, the results found indicate that the family history, the characteristics of the student and the profile of the school community (peer effect) are fundamental to explain student performance. Regarding school inputs, the most important determinants were the disciplinary climate in the classroom and the existence and adequacy of pedagogical resources. In addition, the use of a multilevel approach is extremely important, since a considerable part of the variation in student performance is explained by the differences between schools. The second essay aims to verify if public spending on education by Brazilian municipalities contributes to improving the quality of schools in the municipal school system. The Basic Education Development Index (IDEB) was used as a proxy for the quality of schools. Municipalities’ expenses, derived from SIOPE were broken down into current expenses and capital expenditures. In this essay, the multilevel model was also used as an empirical strategy, applied to biennial data from 2009 to 2017. All adjusted specifications had control variables that depict characteristics of schools and the municipal network. The results provide evidence that both current and capital spending on education have positive effects on the IDEB. Although these effects were significant in all settings, the magnitudes observed were relatively small. This reinforces the need for a more detailed assessment of the destination and effectiveness of the resources invested, especially in a country with considerably limited financial resources.