Growing income inequalities in advanced countries

a research paper by Nathalie Chusseau (EQUIPPE, University of Lille) and Michel Dumont (Federal Planning Bureau Government of Belgium) published as ECINEQ 2012 – 260 by the Society for the Study of Economic Inequality in August 2012

Abstract

In this paper, we survey the literature that studies the issue of growing inequalities in advanced countries (the North). We firstly unveil the main facts concerning widening inequality in the North and we underlie the differences between countries and groups of countries. We put forward the concomitance of the rise in inequality with three key developments that are the three major explanations given to growing inequality:

• globalization, 
• skill biased technological progress and 
• institutional changes.

We finally expose the mechanisms behind each explanation and examine the results of the empirical works that attempt to appraise their respective impacts.

The overall diagnosis is that the three explanations are valid but

1. their weight may substantially differ across countries and sectors, and
2. they interact in the determination of inequality.

JEL Classifications: E24, E25, F1, J2, O3

Full text (PDF 33pp)

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Achievement for All National Evaluation: Final report

The Achievement for All (AfA) pilot involved ten local authorities (LAs) selected by the Department for Children Families and Schools (now the DfE). Each LA selected schools to participate and in total there were 454 schools.

The main aim of the national evaluation project was to examine the impact of AfA on a variety of outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It also aimed to find out what processes and practices in schools were most effective in improving these outcomes.

Research design incorporated quantitative and qualitative components. The quantitative component of the evaluation consisted of teacher surveys, parent surveys, attendance and attainment data and school level surveys/data. The qualitative component included interviews with local and regional AfA lead professionals, longitudinal case studies of 20 AfA school, and ad hoc data.

Includes:

• Executive Summary
• Overview of the Achievement for All national evaluation project
• Professionals, systems and networks supporting AfA schools
• Setting up AfA in schools: barriers and facilitators
• Implementation and impact of AfA Strand 1 (assessment, tracking and intervention)
• Implementation and impact of AfA Strand 2 (structured conversations with parents)
• Strand 3 Wider Outcomes
• Case study profiles of schools and pupils
• Conclusions
• Appendices

Reference: DFE-RR176
Published: November 2011

Full report – “file is damaged” (PDF ??pp)
Hopefully by the time you read this the file will have been repaired but since the response to the email I sent is quoting 15 days please do not hold your breath.

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