Grade repetition and graduation in compulsory secondary education in Spain. Empirical analysis and policy recommendations

Abstract

The grade repetition is one of the main topics of educational policy that has attracted the attention of researchers, mainly in Anglo-Saxon countries. This is a phenomenon that can affect a very large number of students and has clear economic consequences. Its connection with the problem of equity in education makes repetition a matter of political interest and a subject of ideological debate. This study has addressed the problem of repetition in Spain, and has identified the extent of the phenomenon and its evolution over the past decade, from a comparative perspective at both the international and subnational levels. The association between socioeconomic and cultural status and level of repetition has been analysed from a regional perspective, as well as the predictive value of repetition with respect to graduation in compulsory secondary education; and a causal model involving, together, these three variables has been tested through a path analysis. The main findings reveal a large extent of the phenomenon at 15 years of age, a marked heterogeneity between territories and a strong and negative causal link between repetition and graduation that that doubles that of the OECD countries. From the above evidence, some consequences are drawn on the effectiveness of compensatory policies and well-founded proposals are made to correct the extent of the phenomenon of grade repetition in Spain and to reduce its effects on the future of students. In particular, the analysis of the implementation of compensation policies in the school environment, the evaluation of their impact and the reinforcement of both prevention and remediation interventions.

Key words: Grade repetition, regional differences, policies of educational compensation, path analysis, graduation in compulsory secondary education, socioeconomic and cultural status.