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Abstract

This paper contributes to the discussion of the effects of the publication of school rankings based on students’ scores on national exams. We study the effectiveness of this (low-stakes) accountability mechanism. Our results suggest that the publication of rankings has clear effects upon families and schools in Portugal. After the rankings publication, fewer students enroll in schools that are rated poorly and the probability of closure of these schools increases. These effects are stronger for private schools.

5. Discussion and conclusions

Our findings suggest that the publication of rankings has clear effects upon families and schools in Portugal. After publication the number of students attending schools that are rated poorly decreases and the probability of closure of these schools increases. Different mechanisms may lead to these developments: students will choose better rated schools, or, if these are not available, may decide to change to vocational tracks or even drop out. This result is in line with the empirical literature about the effects of low-stakes accountability policies on the performance of schools measured by scores on national exams. This result is especially interesting given that, at least for public schools, there are typically legal restrictions on enrollment decisions according to the geographic location of the student’s home. Even so, students exert some choice over which school to enroll in. We also find that the effect for private schools is stronger, as would be expected given that the freedom of choice between private schools is greater than between public ones.