The contribution of schooling to learning gains of pupils in Years 1 to 6
Open accessAbstract
By means of a regression-discontinuity approach with multiple cut-off points, the effects of age and schooling on learning gains in English primary schools are estimated. The analyses relate to over 3,500 pupils in 20, predominantly independently funded, schools and focus on 4 different learning outcomes. In order to take into account delayed and accelerated school careers, an intention-to-treat analysis was applied. The findings reveal substantial effects of schooling, which in line with previous studies in English primary education account for about 40% of the total learning gains. The year-to-year gains show a declining trend as the school career progresses. The analyses produce evidence for both decreasing effects of schooling on achievement and a weakening age‒achievement relationship in the higher years of primary education.
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During elementary school, yearly growth in reading comprehension is estimated at 0.32 (ranging from 0.55 in grade 1 to 0.08 in grade 6).
“During elementary school, it is estimated that yearly growth in reading comprehension is 0.32 (ranging from 0.55 in grade 1, to 0.08 in grade 6) (Luyten, Merrel, & Tymms, 2017).”
From Don't throw away your printed books: A meta-analysis on the effects of reading media on reading comprehension (2018) · cites this paper as Luyten, Merrel, & Tymms, 2017
The Discussion (p. 20) reports a cumulative schooling effect of 1.62 standard deviations for Reading across Years 1–6, equivalent to about 0.32 across the five year-to-year transitions. The paper describes the larger early and smaller late Reading effects (pp. 16–17), consistent with the cited range. But these are estimates of the contribution of schooling, not total yearly growth in reading, as the citing sentence implies; the paper explicitly distinguishes the two (p. 20). (LLM, conf=0.89)
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- Authors
- Luyten, H., Merrell, C., & Tymms, P.
- Affiliations
- University of Twente (NL)
- Durham University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Luyten, Hans
- Venue
- School Effectiveness and School Improvement
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2017-02-28
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 374-405
- ISSN
- 0924-3453 (ISSN-L)
- 1744-5124
- OpenAlex
- W2592779450
- Cited by
- 29
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 10.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- School Effectiveness and School Improvement (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Durham Research Online (Durham University) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- Durham Research Online (Durham University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- University of Twente Research Information (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › School Choice and Performance
- Social Sciences › Education › Early Childhood Education and Development
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Educational Assessment and Improvement
- Keywords
- learning gains, schooling effects, primary education, independent schools, academic performance, early years of schooling
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