Does tracking increase segregation? International evidence on the effects of between-school tracking on social segregation across schools

Abstract

In the present study, we focus on institutional segregation as determined by the school system. We investigate the effect of between-school tracking on countries’ social segregation across schools as measured by the variation in the socioeconomic composition of schools. We combine data from international large-scale assessments to estimate difference-in-differences models. Specifically, we regress the degree of social segregation across schools at the secondary school level on an indicator of between-school tracking, while controlling for the degree of segregation at the primary school level. The analyses are replicated on 32 different combinations of datasets from three large-scale assessments: Progress in International Reading Literacy Study [PIRLS], Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study [TIMSS], and Programme for International Student Assessment [PISA]. These encompass 16 assessment cycles and 75 different countries or regions. The results provide strong evidence for the hypothesis that between-school tracking increases social segregation between advantaged and disadvantaged students.