Within-school segregation in the Chilean school system: What factors explain it? How efficient is this practice for fostering student achievement and equity?

Abstract

This paper analyzes the segregation within schools in Chile, looking at the related institutional factors and the effect that this process has on students' academic performance. To analyze the relationship between institutional factors and within-school segregation, it uses a logistic regression, controlling for a set of school characteristics. This analysis finds that within-school segregation is related to institutional factors such as school size and the characteristics of their students. To determine the effects of within-school segregation on academic performance, a multilevel regression model is used, organized in three levels: school, classroom and student. The results show that within-school segregation has negative consequences on educational quality, efficiency and equity, since internal segregation reduces the average educational outcomes of the schools and mostly affects students of middle groups within the school in both academic achievement and socioeconomic terms.