Abstract
We analyze the score on a reading literacy test of 15-year-old Italian students. The data depict a fracture in the Italian school system. By means of quantile regressions (QR) and by repeatedly implementing a QR-based test for structural break, computed in different sub-samples and at various quantiles, we can not only pin down the determinants of the gap but also rank them. We find that the difference in curricula is the main factor in explaining the gap in the students’ scores, and the regional difference is linked to structural and behavioural variables, like poor library facilities and student absenteeism, both mirroring the economic lag of the southern Italian regions. In terms of policy actions, curbing absenteeism in the south could help reduce the regional gap. If instead the target is to enhance excellence, funds could be directed towards academic track and/or north-centre regions.