Sorting students into different academic or vocational tracks at the secondary school level is a common practice in many countries. In a random-effects meta-analysis published in early 2023 by Terrin and Triventi, 53 publications from 2000 to 2021 were reviewed to assess the effects of school tracking on the efficiency and inequality of the educational system.
The meta-analysis found a statistically nonsignificant mean effect size of tracking (Hedge’s G = -.063) on students’ overall achievement level, and a statistically significant mean effect size (Hedge’s G = .117, p < 0.001) for educational inequality, which is measured by the dispersion of student achievement and the strength of the family-background effect. The results suggest that researchers tend to present a balanced view when reporting the impact of tracking on student outcomes but have reached a consensus that tracking is associated with an increase in educational inequality.
