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  3. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
  4. November 2012
  5. Discrimination in Grading

American Economic Journal:
Economic Policy

ISSN 1945-7731 (Print) | ISSN 1945-774X (Online)

Discrimination in Grading

  • Rema N. Hanna
  • Leigh L. Linden
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
vol. 4, no. 4, November 2012
(pp. 146–68)
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Abstract

We report the results of an experiment that was designed to test for discrimination in grading in India. We recruited teachers to grade exams. We randomly assigned child "characteristics" (age, gender, and caste) to the cover sheets of the exams to ensure that there is no relationship between these observed characteristics and the exam quality. We find that teachers give exams that are assigned to be lower caste scores that are about 0.03 to 0.08 standard deviations lower than those that are assigned to be high caste. The teachers' behavior appears consistent with statistical discrimination. (JEL I21, J13, O15, O17, Z13)

Citation

Hanna, Rema N., and Leigh L. Linden. 2012. "Discrimination in Grading." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 4 (4): 146–68. DOI: 10.1257/pol.4.4.146

Additional Materials

JEL Classification

  • I21 Analysis of Education
  • J13 Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
  • O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
  • O17 Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements
  • Z13 Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Social and Economic Stratification
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