Sofie J. Cabus

Dropout prevention measures in the Netherlands, an evaluation

In line with the Lisbon Agenda, set by the European Council in the year 2000, European governments formulated ambitious plans to halve the level of early school-leavers by 2012. This paper outlines the dropout prevention measures in the Netherlands and analyzes their influence at both the individual and school level. While most policy measures correlate negatively with the individual dropout decision, only “mentoring and coaching” (i.e., matching of students with a coach from public or private organizations), “optimal track or profession” (e.g., work placement) and “dual track” (i.e., re-entering education for dropout students) have a significant negative impact on the individual dropout decision. By means of quantile regressions, we observe that schools with a relatively high dropout rate benefit the most from dropout prevention measures.

Does unauthorized school absenteeism accelerates the dropout decision? – Evidence from a Bayesian duration model

School absenteeism (or truancy) may be a signal of an ongoing process of student attrition that eventually leads to early school leaving. This article estimates how unauthorized school absenteeism accelerates the dropout decision. In particular, the timing of the dropout decision of truants is compared with the timing of regular school attendees using administrative data with insights into wrongly specified truancy spells. We correct in a Bayesian duration model for issues on data uncertainty and show that only a Bayesian structure on the data yields insightful and consistent results. The results indicate that the risk of truants to leave school early before the end of the compulsory education age increases with as much as 37.4%.

A SHORT NOTE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIOECONOMIC INEQUALITY IN FEMALE BODY WEIGHT

The origin of the obesity epidemic in developing countries is still poorly understood. It has been prominently argued that economic development provides a natural interpretation of the growth in obesity. This paper tests the main aggregated predictions of the theoretical framework to analyze obesity. Average body weight and health inequality should be associated with economic development. Both hypotheses are confirmed: we find higher average female body weight in economically more advanced countries. In relatively nondeveloped countries, obesity is a phenomenon of the socioeconomic elite. With economic development, obesity shifts toward individuals with lower socioeconomic status.

Does Enhanced Student Commitment Reduce School Dropout? Evidence from Two Major Dropout Regions in the Netherlands

Cabus S. J. Does enhanced student commitment reduce school dropout? Evidence from two major dropout regions in the Netherlands, Regional Studies. Enhanced student commitment to the school, peers and teachers may improve student motivation and reduce school dropout. A Dutch dropout prevention measure in this respect deals with smoothing the transition from the pre-vocational school to the vocational school in order to reduce school dropout. Potential dropout students are followed during the summer break, go through an intake procedure, and communication between the pre-vocational school and the vocational school is enhanced by transferring a file containing detailed information on the student. Also a small government experiment offered the possibility to students to attend classes from familiar teachers in their pre-vocational school. Using regional borders as an instrument, and accounting for differences in the underlying student population in a quasi-experimental set-up, the results show, on the one hand, that the transition policy did not decline school dropout among native Dutch students. On the other hand, ethnic minority students increasingly dropped out of school one year after the transition policy became effective.

The short-run causal effect of tumor detection and treatment on psychosocial well-being, work, and income

This paper estimates the short-run causal effect of tumor detection and treatment on psychosocial well-being, work and income. Tumor detection can be considered as a random event, so that we can compare individuals’ average outcomes in the year of diagnosis with the year before. We argue for using panel data estimation techniques that enable us to control for observed and unobserved information intrinsic to the individual and time constants. We use data of a national representative panel in the Netherlands that includes health survey information and data on work, education, and income between 2007 and 2012. Our findings show differences in the psychosocial dysfunction of men and women in response to tumor detection and treatment. Women, not men, are decreasingly likely to participate in the labor force as a result of malignant tumor detection, while no significant effects are found on her personal or household income. We also demonstrate that fixed effects panel data models are superior to matching techniques.

Mismatch between education and the labour market in the Netherlands: is it a reality or a myth? The employers’ perspective

ABSTRACT This study examines whether the expansion in higher education over the past 20 years has contributed to better education–job matches on the labour market. In particular, we relate changes in the average formal schooling level of workers on the regional labour market to the educational attainment of the recruited staff within companies operating on that regional labour market. Hereby, it is acknowledged that companies most often recruit from a pool of workers available on the regional labour market. Next, we estimate the effects of changes in the level of schooling of the staff owing to the increased supply of higher educated graduates on the regional labour market on mismatch. Data from the Dutch Labour Demand Panel are used covering 7451 unique companies over the period 1991–2011. The results indicate that a one-month increase in companies’ workforce average schooling level decreases the probability that companies report mismatch with −3.0 percentage points.

What Do Parents Teach Their Children?--The Effects of Parental Involvement on Student Performance in Dutch Compulsory Education.

Abstract Theory and evidence indicate that, if family size grows, the younger children will get less parental involvement than the older children. These differences in parental involvement through birth order may impact academic achievement if, and only if, parental involvement is an important determinant of children’s educational attainment. The oldest child then benefits the most in terms of educational outcomes. Estimates for the Netherlands show a robust negative relationship between birth order and parental involvement, and significant positive medium to large effects of parental involvement through birth order on various measures of academic achievement. Furthermore, our findings indicate that academic achievement is rooted in a school-supportive home climate, and often created by the mother. However, when it comes to math performance and grade retention, it is better that both parents unduly interfere with school. We also find that parents with low socio-economic status and from immigrant families are as much involved in the education of their children as the average Dutch family, but their involvement is less effective in terms of children’s learning outcomes.

Smart in Mathematics? Exploring the Effects of In-Class-Level Differentiation Using SMARTboard on Math Proficiency.

This paper explores the effects of in-class level differentiation by making innovative use of an interactive whiteboard (SMARTboard) on math proficiency. Therefore, we evaluate the use of SMARTboard in class, in combination with teacher training, using a randomized field experiment among 199 pre-vocational students in 7th-grade in the Netherlands. During six weeks, students in the intervention group participated in math classes in which the SMARTboard was used to apply level differentiation. The teachers of these classes received a specific training (Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge” (TPACK)) in using the SMARTboard in class. Control classes were taught by teachers without the training, who did not use the SMARTboard in class. The results show that level differentiation in class, which was possible because of the efficient use of the SMARTboard, significantly increases math proficiency with 0.25 points.

HORIZONTAL MISMATCH BETWEEN EMPLOYMENT AND FIELD OF EDUCATION: EVIDENCE FROM A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW: HORIZONTAL MISMATCH BETWEEN EMPLOYMENT AND FIELD OF EDUCATION

This paper provides a systematic review of the growing literature on the poor match between employees’ field degree and the job requirements, also referred to as horizontal mismatch. We identify the different definitions used in the literature and find that each measure of horizontal mismatch yields substantially different incidence rates. We discuss the validity of the different measures and conclude that a more uniform definition of horizontal mismatch is needed. The likelihood of horizontal mismatch is among other things determined by the extent to which employees possess general skills as opposed to occupation‐specific skills, and, it appears to be more frequently present among older workers. Compared to well‐matched employees, horizontally mismatched workers generally incur a wage penalty, are less satisfied with their jobs, and are more likely to regret their study programme. The ensuing findings offer guidance to prevent horizontal mismatch as well as a roadmap for future research.

SMART in Mathematics? Exploring the effects of in-class-level differentiation using SMARTboard on math proficiency: SMART in Mathematics?

This paper explores the effects of in-class level differentiation by making innovative use of an interactive whiteboard (SMARTboard) on math proficiency. Therefore, we evaluate the use of SMARTboard in class, in combination with teacher training, using a randomized field experiment among 199 pre-vocational students in 7th-grade in the Netherlands. During six weeks, students in the intervention group participated in math classes in which the SMARTboard was used to apply level differentiation. The teachers of these classes received a specific training (Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge” (TPACK)) in using the SMARTboard in class. Control classes were taught by teachers without the training, who did not use the SMARTboard in class. The results show that level differentiation in class, which was possible because of the efficient use of the SMARTboard, significantly increases math proficiency with 0.25 points.