Tracking
Countries differ widely in the age at which they first track children into different types of schools. Cross-country evidence suggests that tracking children into different school types at an early age is associated with increased inequality and stronger dependence on family backgrounds – without advantages in the overall level of acquired skills. Similar results have been obtained from evaluations of specific tracking reforms in different European countries. Both the international and several pieces of national evidence consistently show that the earlier the school tracking, the greater the impact of family background on educational success. When aiming for equality of opportunity, school systems should thus abstain from the practice of early tracking.
Non-technical contribution:
International Evidence on School Tracking: A Review. CESifo DICE Report - Journal for Institutional Comparisons 7 (1): 26-34, 2009
Here you can learn more about my research on this topic.
My most important academic papers on the topic are:
Does Educational Tracking Affect Performance and Inequality? Differences-in-Differences Evidence across Countries (with E.A. Hanushek). Economic Journal 116 (510): C63-C76, 2006
Education Policy and Equality of Opportunity (with G. Schütz and H.W. Ursprung). Kyklos 61 (2): 279-308, 2008