Educational inequality in Colombia: family background, school quality and student achievement in Cartagena

Abstract

This study examines the effects of family socio‐economic disadvantage and differences in school resources on student achievement in the city of Cartagena, Colombia. Using data from the ICFES and C‐600 national databases, we conduct a multilevel analysis to determine the unique contribution of school‐level factors above and beyond family background. The results from the hierarchical linear models show that while family socio‐economic background significantly affects student achievement, school composition and school resources explain as much as half of the effects of family background. More specifically, the achievement gap in public schools is explained in large part by differential resource allocation and concentration of poor students in public schools, which in turn lowers student achievement.

Keywords:

• Colombia
• achievement
• school poverty
• hierarchical linear modelling
• educational resources
• school sector

Notes

1. We would have liked to use more recent testing and school‐level data. However, access to national data is restricted in Colombia and there is a significant delay between when the data is collected and when it is available for researchers to analyse. It took almost two years for our petition to be granted for both the ICFES dataset and the C‐600. Due to confidentiality policies and practices of exclusive use, the most recent datasets we could gain access to were the 2003 ICFES data and the C‐600 data from 1999.