Este estudio explora la relacion entre la composicion de la escuela y las caracteristicas de su proceso e investiga su efecto en el rendimiento matematico en la educacion secundaria belga flamenca a traves de un analisis multinivel. El estudio confirma que hay importantes relaciones entre las variables de la composicion de la escuela y las del proceso escolar en la educacion secundaria. Los analisis del efecto de ambas variables en el rendimiento revelan que estas tienen importantes efectos aislados y combinados en el rendimiento independientemente de la habilidad inicial . This study explores the relationship between school composition and characteristics of school process and investigates their effect on mathematics achievement in Belgian (Flemish) secondary education by means of multilevel analysis. The study confirms that there are relationships between school composition and school process variables in secondary education. The analyses of the effect of both variables on achievement revealed that these variables have important net and joint effects on achievement independent of initial ability.

Relación entre la composión de la escuela y las características de su proceso, y su efecto en el rendimiento matemático / Relationship between school composition and characteristics of school process and their effect on mathematics achievement

In a recent article in this journal, Sciffer, Perry, and McConney identify the risk of relying on insufficient within-unit variation as a serious flaw in a number of studies using student fixed eff...

Comment on M.G. Sciffer, L.B. Perry, & A.M. McConney, “critiques of socio-economic school compositional effects: are they valid?”

Recently in this journal, Sciffer, Perry, and McConney (2020) argued that school socioeconomic-background (SES) compositional effects are important for both research and policy. In response, this c...

School socioeconomic-background effects are generally small: a response to Sciffer, Perry, and McConney

Reading is crucial for learning, in general. Starting right with reading in primary grades is, therefore, vital for school achievement. The present study aims to test whether students’ factors best predict reading performance than school factors and determine what student and school factors predict reading performance. The study sample includes 4,118 fourth-grade students participating in IEA PIRLS 2016. Three questionnaires were used to collect data: one for school principals, one for students, and one for parents. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to study the relation of school and student-level variables to students’ reading performance. Students’ confidence in reading and home resources for learning are the best predictors of reading performance at the student level. At the school level, school emphasis on academic success is the best predictor of reading performance. The results provide clues as to what schools might do to improve reading results.

School and student determinants of reading performance: A multilevel analysis with Portuguese students

Socioeconomic achievement gaps and the role of school leadership: Addressing within- and between-school inequality in student achievement

School socio-economic compositional (SEC) effects have been influential in educational research predicting a range of outcomes and influencing public policy. However, some recent studies have chall...

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Critiques of socio-economic school compositional effects: are they valid?

We respond to Malatinszky and Armor’s, and Marks’ comments on our article recently published in this journal. We agree with Marks in the use of prior achievement to control for spurious effects in ...

Appropriate modelling of school compositional effects: a response to Malatinszky and Armor, and Marks

Abstract This study examines the effect of school socioeconomic composition on student achievement growth in Australian schooling, and its relationship with academic composition utilising the National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) dataset. Previous research has found that school composition predicts a range of schooling outcomes. A critique of school compositional research has been that measurement error may have biased findings of compositional effects. Prior studies have found that socioeconomic compositional effect sizes are small when models include academic composition. The relationship between socioeconomic and academic compositions has yet to be fully determined. Multi-level regressions and structural equation models were compared to estimate the degree of bias in socioeconomic compositional effects due to measurement error. Multi-level path models were used to test if academic composition mediated the relationship between socioeconomic composition and achievement growth. The results showed that measurement error did not bias compositional effects in the dataset, and academic composition mediates the relationship between socioeconomic composition and achievement growth. We argue that school value-add research should include academic composition to account for contextual effects. The socioeconomic compositional effect is of practical significance to policy makers and educational researchers due to its relative size compared to average student achievement growth. Potential reforms include ensuring public subsidies to private schools in Australia do not increase school segregation and the amelioration of the effects of residential segregation through school funding reforms. 

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Michael G. Sciffer

Papers

Critiques of socio-economic school compositional effects: are they valid?

Appropriate modelling of school compositional effects: a response to Malatinszky and Armor, and Marks

The substantiveness of socioeconomic school compositional effects in Australia: measurement error and the relationship with academic composition