Moving to the Opportunity Land How school-related geographical mobility affects student achievement trajectories

Research on school mobility often emphasizes its disruptive effects on studentachievement. However, it can also be the result of a strategic choice to accessbetter educational opportunities. This study examines the effects of schoolmobility from marginal to central areas in Italy, characterized by significantgeographical disparities in the provision of educational services and considerablemobility in the transition to upper secondary education. Using longitudinalstudent population data on two cohorts of students, we apply a difference-indifferencesapproach to estimate the effect of school mobility from marginal tocentral areas between grades 8 and 10 on students’ standardized test scores inreading and mathematics. In addition, we provide an indirect test of three keymechanisms highlighted in the literature on school mobility: logistical costs,change in school quality, and dissolution of social ties. The results show thatmobility to central areas improves academic performance in both Italian readingand mathematics, with gains of 0.067 and 0.078 standard deviations, respectively.Importantly, the positive effect is more pronounced for students who move tohigher quality schools and for those who commute shorter distances, while thedissolution of social ties seems to play a negligible role.