Policies for decentralization, school autonomy and educational inequalities among the Italian regions. Empirical evidence from Pisa 2006

The aim of this work is to analyze the inequalities in educational performances among the Italian regions after the period of educational reforms started on the end of 90’s. The policies for decentralization and school autonomy have produced a wide range of local implementations and the picture which emerges on examining the effects of those education policies in recent years is that of an extremely dynamic situation with a wide range of local declinations. In this paper, using data from OECD PISA 2006, we attempt to identify the dynamics that produce the differential in educational performance (both between individuals and between geographical areas) taking into account the effects produced by the students background, the school-level variables (aggregated background, school track, etc.) and the contextual factors, in relation with the new policy framework.