School structures and achievement

In this chapter we examine what many consider to be among the most politically and socially contentious issues facing education today. First, we outline the market reforms that were first introduced during the 1980s and their impact on school structures. Second, we examine selective schooling and achievement. Third, we examine compositional or peer effects, before turning our attention to ability grouping. Finally, we summarise our findings and present our conclusions on the issues raised in the chapter.