Differences between Scottish Education Authorities in their Examination Attainment[1]

Author:
  • JWJ. Douglas Willms
    J. Douglas Willms
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Abstract
This study examines the extent of variation in national certificate examination results between all secondary pupils, schools, and Education Authorities (EAs) in Scotland. The study estimates the size of differences between EAs, before and after controlling for pupil intake, and examines whether the variation between EAs is associated with the social‐class composition of the schools within them. It also estimates the proportions of variation that lie between EAs, between schools within EAs, and between pupils within schools. The study employs data from the 1977, 1981, and 1987 Scottish School Leavers Surveys, which describe the examination results and family backgrounds of over 40,000 pupils who left school in 1976, 1980, and 1984. Both private and state‐funded schools were included. The findings show that there were significant differences between EAs in their examination performance, even after controlling for the effects of pupils’ family backgrounds. Some EAs were at a distinct disadvantage because they had several schools with high proportions of low social‐class pupils. Adjusting for the mean socio‐economic status of the school, in addition to the background characteristics of individual pupils, altered considerably the profile of attainment and achievement for many of the EAs. The findings also suggest that, of the variance in pupil outcomes remaining after controlling statistically for pupil intake, nearly 90% is between pupils, about 10% is between schools, and less than one‐tenth of one percent is between EAs.

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