Published December 2, 2024 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Cross-national Differences in Socioeconomic Achievement Inequality in Early Primary School: The Role of Parental Education and Income in Six Countries

  • 1. German Institute for Economic Research
  • 2. University of Bristol
  • 3. Leipzig University
  • 4. Keio University
  • 5. Erasmus University of Rotterdam
  • 6. Institut national d'études démographiques
  • 7. Columbia University
  • 8. Statistics Netherlands
  • 9. University of Chicago
  • 10. Osaka University of Economics
  • 11. Kobe University
  • 12. Teikyo University

Description

This paper presents comparative information on the strength of the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and literacy skills at ages 6–8, drawing on data from France, Germany, Japan, Rotterdam (Netherlands), the United Kingdom, and the United States. We investigate whether the strength of the association between SES and literacy skills in early-to-mid childhood depends on the operationalization of SES (parental education, income, or both) and whether differences in inequalities at the end of lower secondary schooling documented in international large-scale assessments are already present when children have experienced at most two years of compulsory schooling. We find marked differences in SES-related inequalities in early achievement across countries that are largely insensitive to the way SES is measured and that seem to mirror inequalities reported for older students. We conclude that country context shapes the link between parental SES and educational achievement, with country differences rooted in the early childhood period.

Data availability

The replication files for this article can be found at https://www.openicpsr.org/openicpsr/project/209701/version/V1/view.

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Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1177/23328584241299794
Other
oai:uchicago.tind.io:14264

Funding

Economic and Social Research Council
ES/S015191/1
Agence Nationale de la Recherche
ANR-18-ORAR-0001
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
SCHN 1116/1-1
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
WE 1478/12-1
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
464.18.102
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
20181402
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
21H04982
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
22H04911

UChicago Information

Division(s)
Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice
Department(s)
Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice Research Publications