Does the Track Matter? A Comparison of Student Achievement in Different Tracks

• In Event: Students' Compositions in Schools: International Evidence of Learning

Abstract

This study compared the effects of different tracks on academic performance in mathematics and Dutch during the first three years of secondary education in Flanders (northern Belgium). Four tracks were distinguished, comparing pairs of tracks which are hierarchically consecutive by Mahalanobis distance matching students across tracks. Latent growth curves with a free functional form were used to describe learning gains. The results reveal that hierarchically higher tracks benefit students’ academic performance for mathematics and reading comprehension. However, effect sizes differ across tracks. Moreover, differences in relative learning progress between compared tracks diminish over time.

Authors

• Jonas Dockx, KU Leuven

• Bieke De Fraine, K.U. Leuven

• Machteld Vandecandelaere, University of Leuven