The gross and net effects of primary school denomination on pupil performance

Notwithstanding dramatically low levels of professed religiosity in Western Europe, the religious school sector continues to thrive. One explanation for this paradox is that nowadays parents choose religious schools primarily for their higher academic reputation. Empirical evidence for this presumed...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Educational review (Birmingham) 2016-10, Vol.68 (4), p.466-480
Main Authors: Driessen, Geert, Agirdag, Orhan, Merry, Michael S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Catholics
Cognition
denomination
Dutch language
Educational Attainment
effects
Elementary education
Elementary School Students
Elementary Schools
Ethnic Groups
Foreign Countries
Grade 2
Grade 5
Grade 8
Islam
multilevel analysis
Muslims
Naming
Netherlands
Outcome Measures
Parent Background
Parents & parenting
primary school
Private Schools
Protestants
Public Schools
Questionnaires
Religion
Religiosity
Religious Education
Religious Factors
Religious schools
Reputations
School Choice
Scores
Standardized Tests
Statistical Analysis
the Netherlands
Value Added Models
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Summary:Notwithstanding dramatically low levels of professed religiosity in Western Europe, the religious school sector continues to thrive. One explanation for this paradox is that nowadays parents choose religious schools primarily for their higher academic reputation. Empirical evidence for this presumed denominational advantage is mixed. We examine and compare several studies purporting to show a denominational school effect, and then turn our attention to the Dutch case. Owing to its longstanding and highly varied denominational school sector, the Netherlands arguably provides a unique context in which to examine whether there are school sector effects. In this study multilevel analyses were performed. Data include 19 cognitive and non-cognitive outcome measures in 2011 administered to 27,457 pupils in grades 2, 5 and 8 of 386 primary schools. Results show that after controlling for input differences at pupil and school level no substantial output differences between religious schools and public schools remain. However, Islamic schools appear to be one important exception which turn out to have a great value-added potential. Implications of these findings are discussed.
ISSN:0013-1911
1465-3397
DOI:10.1080/00131911.2015.1135880