Does school SES matter less for high-performing students than for their lower-performing peers? A quantile regression analysis of PISA 2018 Australia

Background While the relationship between school socioeconomic composition and student academic outcomes is well established, knowledge about differential effects is not extensive. In particular, little is known whether the relationship differs for students with varying levels of academic performance. We examined whether the school socioeconomic composition effect on academic achievement is stronger or weaker for high-performing students than for average- and low-performing students. Australia is a theoretically interesting case study as it has high levels of school socioeconomic segregation compared to other economically developed countries. Methods We conducted quantile regression analysis using data from the Australia PISA 2018 sample (N = 14,273 15-year-old students). We examined the effect of school socioeconomic status (school SES) on student performance in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy. Results We found that the school socioeconomic composition effect is substantial and is similar for all students, regardless of their level of academic performance. The findings also show that school SES is a stronger predictor than student SES for all student performance quintiles, and the size of the school SES effect relative to the size of student SES effect is larger in lower performance quintiles. Conclusions These results indicate no differential effect of school SES on reading, mathematical or scientific literacy for students of varying levels of academic performance. The relationship is similarly strong and positive for high-performing students as it is for their lower performing peers. As school SES is a strong predictor for all students regardless of their level of academic performance, we argue that equity of educational outcomes can be best achieved by policies and structures that promote socioeconomically mixed rather than segregated schools. We also call for more research that seeks to identify and understand possible differential effects of school socioeconomic composition on a range of academic and non-cognitive student outcomes

The ethnic prejudice of Flemish pupils : the roles of school gender composition and laddish culture

This study examines whether secondary schools? gender composition and levels of laddish attitudes influence the degree of ethnic prejudice among Flemish pupils. We hypothesize that in addition to pupil-level predictors of prejudice, the school?s gender composition and its laddish culture play roles in pupils? attitudes toward ethnic minorities. We use multilevel analysis with data obtained in 2014?2015 from 2250 Flemish pupils in 48 secondary schools in Flanders. Both girls? and boys? ethnic prejudice is related to their laddish attitudes. Boys? levels of ethnic prejudice are associated with the gender composition and the laddish culture of their school, while girls? ethnic prejudice is more likely to be influenced by the laddish culture of the school when the proportion of male pupils in the school increases. The findings suggest that in order to reduce ethnic prejudice it might be fruitful to focus on macro-level factors, such as tackling laddish cultures at school

School Choice and Segregation by Race, Class, and Achievement

This chapter summarizes the empirical literature on the growth in school choice options, the increasing diversity of the school-aged population, and the segregation of America's schools by race, socioeconomic status, and student ability. Research findings suggest choice schools and programs are as segregated, and in some instances, more segregated by race and socioeconomic status than the other schools in their local community. Moreover, many forms of choice also segregate students by ability and achievement levels. The ways that school choice options are designed and implemented result in very little desegregation. The exceptions to this generalization are intradistrict full magnet programs that operate under conditions of controlled choice, interdistrict desegregation plans, and some secular private schools

Exposição à segregação racial na escola e na sala de aula nas escolas de ensino médio e as conquistas dos estudantes de faculdade de Charlotte-Mecklenburg

In this study we investigate Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) high school graduates’ academic performance in the first year of college and test whether their exposure to racial segregation in high school at both the school and classroom levels affected their college freshman grade point averages. Utilizing administrative data from the Roots of STEM Success Project, we track the CMS class of 2004 from middle school through its first year of education in the University of North Carolina (UNC) system. Our findings show that segregation among schools and among classes within schools compromises college achievement for students of color while offering no significant benefits to white students’ college achievement.En este estudio investigamos el rendimiento académico de los graduados de escuelas secundarias de Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) en su primer año de universidad y probamos si la exposición a segregación racial durante la escuela secundaria al nivel colegio y clase afecta su promedio de rendimiento académico en la universidad.  Utilizando datos administrativos del Roots of STEM Success Project, seguimos a la clase de estudiantes del CMS del 2004 desde la escuela media hasta su primer año de universidad en el sistema universitario de Carolina del Norte (UNC).  Nuestros resultados muestran que la segregación entre colegios y entre clase dentro de un colegio deteriora el rendimiento académico en la universidad de los estudiantes de color, mientras al mismo tiempo no ofrece beneficios significativos al rendimiento académico de los estudiantes blancos en la universidad.Nesse estudo nós investigamos os formandos do ensino secundário das escolas do condado de Mecklenburg em Charlotte (CMS) e o desempenho acadêmico no primeiro ano de faculdade, e testamos para ver se a exposição à segregação racial na escola de ensino secundário, tanto na escola como na sala de aula afetou as notas desses alunos no primeiro ano de faculdade.  Utilizando dados administrativos obtidos através do Roots of STEM Success Project, nós acompanhamos a classe de 2004 de CMS desde o ensino médio até o primeiro ano de faculdade na Universidade da Carolina do Norte (UNC). Nossos resultados mostram que a segregação entre escolas e entre salas de aula dentro da escola comprometem as conquistas na faculdade para estudantes negros mas não oferecem benefícios significativos em relação à conquistas na faculdade para estudantes brancos

Vouchers: No Solution to Educating the Poor

Source: The Arizona Republic We have good evidence–from voucher programs in Chile and New Zealand–that large-scale voucher programs will not help the vast majority of poor children and instead will reinforce segregation and inequality. Voucher proponents ignore the complexity of what contributes to student achievement and turn their backs on our goal to build a more democratic society