Abstract

Previous studies have documented social segregation for single types of tracking, but little previous research has compared levels of segregation across different institutional tracking arrangements. This paper uses extensive administrative data of the Chilean educational system to estimate the magnitude and evolution of socioeconomic segregation between- and within-school curriculum tracking. Results indicate that the unequal distribution of students by socioeconomic status between tracks narrows when tracking takes place within schools, mainly in the presence of market incentives that lead schools to focus on particular student populations.