Date of Award

5-2014

Degree Type

Report

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Applied Economics

Committee Chair(s)

Man-Keun Kim

Committee

Man-Keun Kim

Committee

Reza Oladi

Committee

Ryan Bosworth

Abstract

Developing countries have devoted to the implementation of education policies to improve the quality of education. The concern has originated from the fact that quality education produces the tools necessary to produce social mobility, reducing the inequality within a country and in turn increasing the economic growth. The attention on education quality has aroused conflicting opinions about whether to focus the educational policies in the lowest or in the highest achievers. Most policies focus on providing quality, basic education for all children, youth and adults arguing that basic education directly impacts all aspects of human development. On the other hand, some analysts suggest that the highest achievers deserve the same attention and concern.

This study applies a cross-country growth regression analysis to identify the relationship between the existence of lowest achievers and/or highest achievers, and economic growth in non-OECD countries. 5 percentage points increase in the share of basic performers in non-OECD countries is associated with 0.14 percentage points higher annual growth. While a 0.5 percentage points increase in the share of top performers in non-OECD countries is associated with 0.099 percentage points higher annual growth. Also, results suggest that non-OECD countries should focus on basic performers, given that their contribution to economic growth and the higher economic value of a reform focus on that group of 9.55 thousand dollars per person compared to a focus on top performers where the economic value is 6.59 thousand dollars per person.

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