Quantile regressions analysis of the Italian school system

The score on a reading literacy test of 15 years old Italian students is here analyzed. The data depict a fracture in the Italian school system. By means of quantile regressions and by repeatedly implementing a quantile regression based test for structural break, computed in different sub-samples and at various quantiles, one can pin down the determinants of the gap and rank them. We find that the difference in curricula is the main factor in explaining the gap in the students scores; that the regional difference is linked to structural and behavioral variables, like poor library facilities and students absenteeism, both mirroring the economic lag of the southern Italian regions. In terms of policy actions, curbing absenteeism in the south can reduce the regional gap. If instead the target is to enhance excellence, funds should be directed toward academic track, public schools, north-centre regions.