Working Paper
How Did EU Membership of Eastern Europe Affect Student Achievement?
Annika B. Bergbauer
ifo Institute, 2019
ifo Working Paper No. 299
ifo Institute, 2019
ifo Working Paper No. 299
The accession of Eastern European countries to the European Union increased family wealth and the returns to schooling. I analyze the change in student achievement due to the EU accession of Eastern Europe building on a panel of six PISA waves covering more than 1 million students in 32 countries. Using a difference-in-differences approach I find a positive and statistically significant link of EU membership to reading scores by one decile of a standard deviation. Mediation analysis suggests school efficiency, family wealth, and family structure as key transmitters of EU membership to student achievement.
Schlagwörter: European Union, student achievement, PISA
JEL Klassifikation: I280, H520, L150, D820, P500