THE EFFECT OF SCHOOL CHOICE ON STUDENTʼS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Abstract

We test the effect of school choice on studentsʼ academic performance by exploiting the change in high school assignment program in Seoul, Korea from within-district randomization to open enrollment. Employing difference-in-differences methodology on administrative data of high school studentsʼ National Assessment of Educational Achievement test scores, we find no evidence that enhanced school choice improved average test scores in Seoul. However, we find differential effects across school types ‒ regular high schoolsʼ test scores fell whereas newly converted selective private high schoolsʼ test scores rose substantially. Increased sorting across schools is shown to have adverse effects particularly on low-ability students.