Who chooses fast-track programs in mathematics? The role of class origin, ethnicity, and gender among Norwegian lower-secondary students

Figures & data

Table 1. Descriptive statistics for all students and fast-track students in fast-track schools.

Variable	All students			Fast track students
	Obs	Mean	S.D.	Obs	Mean	S.D.
Fast-tracked mathematics	130,268	.01	.12	1884	1	0
National Test Math (raw)	121,926	34.4	13.3	1823	49.14	8.1
National Test Math (z-scores)	121,926	.083	1.01	1823	1.41	.60
Cultural upper class	130,034	.051		1880	.12
Professional upper class	130,034	.11		1880	.21
Economic upper class	130,034	.11		1880	.13
Cultural upper-middle class	130,034	.09		1880	.11
Professional upper-middle class	130,034	.20		1880	.20
Economic upper-middle class	130,034	.12		1880	.08
Cultural lower-middle class	130,034	.02		1880	.01
Professional lower-middle class	130,034	.09		1880	.04
Economic lower-middle class	130,034	.05		1880	.03
Skilled workers	130,034	.10		1880	.05
Unskilled and semi-skilled workers	130,034	.05		1880	.02
Farmers, fishermen, foresters	130,034	0.00		1880	.00
Welfare, transference	130,034	.019		1880	.00
Girls	130,268	.51		1884	.53
Boys	130,268	.49		1884	.48
Native	130,268	.69		1884	.66
West (immigrant)	130,268	.11		1884	.12
Non-west(immigrant)	130,268	.06		1884	.04
West (descendant)	130,268	.07		1884	.10
Non-west(descendant)	130,268	.08		1884	.09

Figure 1. Density plot of results on 8th grade national tests in mathematics (z-scores) among fast-tracked students and all other students.

Table 2. Probability of fast-track participation in math dependent on student background controlling for national tests (NT) in math, reading and English.

	(1) LPM		(2) FE(schools)		(3) FE(schools)+NT
Class
Cultural upper	0.020***	(0.002)	0.020***	(0.001)	0.005***	(0.001)
Professional upper	0.015***	(0.001)	0.015***	(0.001)	0.002	(0.001)
Economic upper	0.008***	(0.001)	0.007***	(0.001)	−0.003*	(0.001)
Lower middle	0.002**	(0.001)	0.002	(0.001)	−0.003*	(0.001)
Working class/welfare	Ref.		Ref.		Ref.
Gender
Girls	Ref.		Ref.		Ref.
Boys	−0.001	(0.001)	−0.001	(0.001)	0.002***	(0.001)
Immigrant
Native	Ref.		Ref.		Ref.
West (immigrant)	0.003**	(0.001)	0.002*	(0.001)	0.002	(0.001)
Non-west(immigrant)	−0.001	(0.001)	−0.002	(0.001)	0.005***	(0.002)
West (descendant)	0.006***	(0.002)	0.005***	(0.001)	0.005***	(0.001)
Non-west(descendant)	0.007**	(0.002)	0.007***	(0.001)	0.010***	(0.001)
Year
2010	−0.025***	(0.002)	−0.025***	(0.001)	−0.025***	(0.001)
2011	−0.022***	(0.002)	−0.021***	(0.001)	−0.021***	(0.001)
2012	−0.019***	(0.002)	−0.019***	(0.001)	−0.019***	(0.001)
2013	−0.013***	(0.002)	−0.013***	(0.001)	−0.012***	(0.001)
2014	Ref.		Ref.		Ref.
National Test Math (z-score)					0.020***	(0.000)
Constant	0.019***	(0.002)	0.020***	(0.001)	0.026***	(0.001)
N Students	130,034		130,034		121,855
N Schools			295		295

Schools offering fast-tracks. Linear probability models (LPM) and LPM with Fixed effects on School-level (FEschools).

Robust standard errors clustered on the school level in parentheses.

* p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001.

Figure 2. Estimated shares in fast-track in mathematics by social class origin, with and without control for results on national tests.

Figure 3. Estimated shares in fast-track in mathematics by immigrant status, with and without control for results on national tests.

Figure 4. Estimated shares in fast-track in mathematics by sex, with and without control for results on national tests.