TY  - JOUR
AU  - Heckman,James J.
AU  - LaFontaine,Paul
TI  - Bias Corrected Estimates of GED Returns
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 12018
PY  - 2006
Y2  - February 2006
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w12018
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w12018.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
James J. Heckman
Department of Economics
The University of Chicago
1126 E. 59th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
Tel: 773/702-0634
Fax: 773/702-8490
E-Mail: jheckman@uchicago.edu
M1  - published as Heckman, James J. and Paul A. LaFontaine. "Bias-Corrected Estimates Of GED Returns," Journal of Labor Economics, 2006, v24(3,Jul), 661-800.
AB  - Using three sources of data, this paper examines the direct economic return to GED certification for both native and immigrant high school dropouts. One data source %u2013 the CPS %u2013 is plagued by non-response and allocation bias from the hot-deck procedure that biases upward the estimated return to the GED. Correcting for allocation bias and ability bias, there is no direct economic return to GED certification. An apparent return to GED certification with age found in the raw CPS data is due to dropouts becoming more skilled over time. These results apply to native born as well as immigrant populations.
ER  -