Family, Classroom, and School Effects on Childrens Educational Outcomes in Latin America

This study, which is based on a longer report by Willms and Somers (2000), employs hierarchical linear regression models to examine the relationships between 3 schooling outcomes (language and mathematics achievement, and time to complete primary schooling) and family background, as well as various school policies and practices. The analyses employ data from the Primer Estudio Internacional Comparativo (PEIC ; UNESCO, 1998), which includes data for 13 Latin American countries, with samples of approximately 100 schools in each country, and 40 grades 3 and 4 pupils sampled in each school. The study finds that the relationship between schooling outcomes and family background varies among countries. The most successful country, Cuba, has uniformly effective schools, and relatively small inequities along social class lines and between the sexes. Across all countries, the most effective schools tend to be those with: high levels of school resources; classrooms which are not multigrade, and where students are not grouped by ability; classrooms where children are tested frequently; classrooms and schools with a high level of parental involvement; and classrooms that have a positive classroom climate, especially with respect to classroom discipline. The article concludes with a discussion about how we might improve capability to monitor school performance in low-income countries.