Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP12515
Authors: Simone Balestra; Beatrix Eugster; Helge Liebert
Abstract: Children starting school at older ages consistently exhibit better educational outcomes. In this paper, we underscore child development as a mechanism driving this effect. We study the causal effect of school starting age on a child’s probability of developing special educational needs in early grades. We find that starting school at a relatively older age decreases the probability of developing special needs by approximately 6 percentage points. This decrease is due to a lower incidence of various behavioral and learning impairments. Importantly, the effect is not driven by non-expert over-referrals of relatively younger children to special needs services. The effect is persistent throughout compulsory schooling, resulting in higher test scores in grade eight. Although these performance differentials are significant, they do not affect labor market entry.
Keywords: school starting age; special needs; child development
JEL Codes: I14; I21; J13
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| School Starting Age (I21) | Probability of Developing Special Educational Needs (I24) |
| School Starting Age (I21) | Behavioral Problems (D91) |
| School Starting Age (I21) | Learning Impairments (D83) |
| Younger Age at School Start (I21) | Consultations with School Psychological Service (I21) |
| Younger Age at School Start (I21) | Standardized Test Scores in Eighth Grade (I21) |
| Younger Age at School Start (I21) | Long-term Effects on Labor Market Entry (J29) |
| Younger Age at School Start (I21) | Educational Track Choices (A22) |