WP-99-16

Christopher Jepsen

Abstract

This paper examines the contentious claim that increased competition between high schools results in increased student achievement. More specifically, it examines the effect of private school competition on the achievement of high school students. Much of the recent literature on school competition focuses on competition and student achievement measured at the district or county level, noting the limitations imposed by this aggregate data. In this paper, I investigate whether the level of aggregation of the competition variable affects the results by using zip code, county and metropolitan area level measures of competition. The results suggest that private school competition does not have a consistent effect on individual high school student achievement.

Christopher Jepsen, Graduate fellow, Department of Economics, Northwestern University

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