Page 177 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Contemporary European Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 177
the interplay of factors contributing to esl at the system level
in education as those secondary school systems in which the schools are
strongly segregated on average have lower achievement and greater var-
iability in their PISA achievement; social background is a greater obsta-
cle to educational success than in systems with less segregation among
schools (OECD, 2008). Further, there is more problem behaviour in schools
that have a concentration of socio-economic disadvantage (David, 2011).
Another important issue is that the risk of ESL is considerably higher in
schools with a low mean SES (Rumberger & Lim, 2008; Traag & van der
Velden, 2008). Low school SES is often interwoven with other factors like a
higher share of students with a minority/migrant background (e.g. OECD,
2008). Palardy (2013) showed there is considerable variation in high school
graduation rates among schools within each socio-economic composition
(SEC) category of schools (low, medium and high SEC schools). In some
low SEC schools, all students complete high school while in others the fig-
ure is a low as 50%. However, despite this variation within each category,
the graduation rates for high SEC schools were substantially on average
higher than for low SEC schools. It should be noted that some studies (e.g.
Lee & Burkam, 2003; Rumberger & Palardy, 2005) showed that, after ac-
counting for a variety of other school characteristics (e.g. school practices),
mean SES no longer had a direct effect on ESL rates.
Some countries apply active desegregation policies aimed at lowering
segregation – they want to change the social composition of low SES schools,
for example in Bulgaria and Hungary these seek to reduce the segregation
of Roma students (European Commission, 2011). The range of mechanisms
available for desegregation include, for example: controlling the entry con-
ditions to individual schools, and positive discrimination measures in sup-
port of disadvantaged schools (grants, technical assistance, and other ad-
ditional resources to schools) (ibid.; OECD, 2012). Attempts to increase the
social heterogeneity of schools should always be accompanied by measures
to ensure school quality (European Commission, 2011).
Early tracking
Tracking refers to the degree of educational differentiation in the educa-
tion system – early tracking characterises systems with a high level of ed-
ucation differentiation that forces students to follow clearly defined paths
early on in their education (EP, 2014b). Students are tracked into differ-
ent educational pathways based on their achievement – a common practice
177
in education as those secondary school systems in which the schools are
strongly segregated on average have lower achievement and greater var-
iability in their PISA achievement; social background is a greater obsta-
cle to educational success than in systems with less segregation among
schools (OECD, 2008). Further, there is more problem behaviour in schools
that have a concentration of socio-economic disadvantage (David, 2011).
Another important issue is that the risk of ESL is considerably higher in
schools with a low mean SES (Rumberger & Lim, 2008; Traag & van der
Velden, 2008). Low school SES is often interwoven with other factors like a
higher share of students with a minority/migrant background (e.g. OECD,
2008). Palardy (2013) showed there is considerable variation in high school
graduation rates among schools within each socio-economic composition
(SEC) category of schools (low, medium and high SEC schools). In some
low SEC schools, all students complete high school while in others the fig-
ure is a low as 50%. However, despite this variation within each category,
the graduation rates for high SEC schools were substantially on average
higher than for low SEC schools. It should be noted that some studies (e.g.
Lee & Burkam, 2003; Rumberger & Palardy, 2005) showed that, after ac-
counting for a variety of other school characteristics (e.g. school practices),
mean SES no longer had a direct effect on ESL rates.
Some countries apply active desegregation policies aimed at lowering
segregation – they want to change the social composition of low SES schools,
for example in Bulgaria and Hungary these seek to reduce the segregation
of Roma students (European Commission, 2011). The range of mechanisms
available for desegregation include, for example: controlling the entry con-
ditions to individual schools, and positive discrimination measures in sup-
port of disadvantaged schools (grants, technical assistance, and other ad-
ditional resources to schools) (ibid.; OECD, 2012). Attempts to increase the
social heterogeneity of schools should always be accompanied by measures
to ensure school quality (European Commission, 2011).
Early tracking
Tracking refers to the degree of educational differentiation in the educa-
tion system – early tracking characterises systems with a high level of ed-
ucation differentiation that forces students to follow clearly defined paths
early on in their education (EP, 2014b). Students are tracked into differ-
ent educational pathways based on their achievement – a common practice
177
