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Promoting Secondary School Retention in Latin America and the Caribbean

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Promoting Secondary School Retention in Latin America and the Caribbean Promoting secondary school retention in Latin America and the Caribbean Lessons from Mexico and Chile Promoting secondary school retention in Latin America and the Caribbean Lessons from Mexico and Chile Title: Promoting secondary school retention in Latin America and the Caribbean. Lessons from Mexico and Chile Editor: CAF Vice Presidency of Sustainable Development Julián Suárez, Corporate Vice President Project Coordination: Cecilia Llambí, Directorate of Social Development Projects, South Region Authors: Kimberly Josephson, Results For Development Robert Francis, Results For Development Shubha Jayaram, Results For Development Senior Consultant: Ana María Arraigada This report benefited from the dedication and expertise of Ricardo Vernon and Estela Rivero at Investigación en Salud y Demografía (INSAD) in Mexico, and Eduardo Candia and Daniela Barrera in Chile, who provided invaluable contextual insight and contributed substantially to research and analysis for the country case studies. The authors also acknowledge Cecilia Llambí and Elena Cardona for their guidance and thoughtful feedback, and appreciate the valuable input from Ricardo Estrada, Lucila Berniell, Bibiam Diaz and Dinorah Singer. Finally, the authors express indebtedness to the many individuals who volunteered their time in interviews and focus groups to share their knowledge, experience and ideas for promoting secondary school retention and completion. This group includes international education experts as well as program implementers, government officials and local researchers based in Mexico and Chile. Graphic design: Estudio Bilder / Buenos Aires The ideas and proposals contained in this edition are the exclusive responsibility of their authors and do not compromise the official position of CAF. The digital version of this book can be found at: scioteca.caf.com © 2018 CAF- Development Bank of Latin America - All rights reserved Contents Abbreviations 6 Foreword 7 Executive Summary 8 01 Introduction 15 02 Methodology 19 Identification of Dropout Factors and Case Study Selection 19 Regional and In-Country Data Collection 20 Limitations 21 03 Review of the literature 23 Endogenous Dropout Factors and Potential Solutions 25 Exogenous Dropout Factors and Potential Solutions 28 04 Mexico 33 National Context 33 Overview of Upper Secondary Education in Mexico 37 Construye T 41 Yo No Abandono 46 Findings 49 05 Chile 55 National Context 55 Overview of Secondary Education in Chile 58 JUNAEB Targeting system 62 Aquí Presente 65 Findings 70 06 Discussion & recommendations 75 Conclusion 83 07 References 85 08 Annexes 97 Annex 1 97 Annex 2 98 Abbreviations ABCs Attendance, behavior, and course-based performance ABE Aulas de Bien Estar (Classrooms of Prosperity) BARE Beca de Apoyo a la Retención Escolar (School Retention Support Scholarship) CCT Conditional cash transfer CORE Consejo Regional Metropolitano (Regional Metropolitan Council) CSO Civil society organization EWS Early warning system GDP Gross domestic product JUNAEB Junta Nacional de Auxilio Escolar y Becas (National Board of School Assistance and Scholarships) LAC Latin America and the Caribbean LPT Liceos para Todos (High School for All) MINEDUC Ministerio de Educación de Chile (Ministry of Education of Chile) NiNi Ni estudian, ni trabajan (Youth who are not in education, employment or training) NGO Non-governmental organization OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development PARE Programa de Apoyo a la Retención Escolar (School Retention Support Program) RCT Randomized controlled trial SEMS Subsecretaría de Educación Media Superior (Mexico Undersecretary of Upper Secondary Education) SENAME Servicio Nacional de Menores (National Service for Minors) SENDA Servicio Nacional para la Prevención y Rehabilitación del Consumo de Drogas y Alcohol (National Service for the Prevention and Rehabilitation of Drug and Alcohol Consumption) SEP Subvención Escolar Preferencial (Preferential School Subsidy) SEREMI Secretaría Regional Ministerial (Regional Ministerial Secretariat) SINAE Sistema Nacional de Asignación con Equidad (National System for Equitable Assignment) SPR Subvención Pro-Retención (Retention Support Subsidy) UNDP United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Foreword In Latin America and the Caribbean, more students than ever are entering secondary school — but too many of them never complete this level and successfully graduate. While over 90 percent of children in the region now transition from primary to lower secondary school, only 59 percent complete upper secondary school (UNESCO, 2017; UIS, n.d.). In school, many students are often unsupported, do not learn, and do not see how their education will prepare them for the future. Outside of school, teen pregnancy and poverty continue to be significant hurdles. These obstacles, which together push and pull students out of school, have enormous implications: youth who do not complete secondary school earn lower incomes, face lower rates of employment, and are more likely to use drugs or be engaged in criminal activity. More broadly, these challenges mean that countries in the region struggle to build productive workforces with the skills necessary to generate economic growth in the 21st century. Promoting secondary school retention in Latin America and the Caribbean: Lessons from Mexico and Chile explores the causes of dropout and investigates specific policies that work to keep at-risk youth in school. In particular, we try to understand the different reasons why young women and men drop out, and whether interventions are sensitive to those differences. Through a comprehensive review of existing evidence, expert consultations, and in-depth country case studies, we attempt to answer the following questions: → What are the main factors that contribute to secondary school dropout, and how do these differ by gender? → What education policies and programs in the region have worked to promote school retention? → How do contextual and institutional factors contribute to both successes and challenges in designing and implementing effective retention strategies? Case studies of four promising initiatives in Mexico and Chile explore strategies to identify at-risk youth, support school leaders and teachers, and foster students’ socioemotional skills. Based on these insights, we offer recommendations for decision-makers throughout the region to consider when designing and implementing strong and coherent school retention strategies. Incorporating a gender perspective when designing interventions, improving coordination between complementary school-related initiatives, and building strong early warning systems are some of the recommendations that emerged from our case studies in Chile and Mexico, which are applicable elsewhere in the region. CAF, the Development Bank of Latin America, and Results for Development (R4D) are delighted to present the findings that emerge as a consequence of our close collaboration on this study. The study contributes to the strategic guidelines of the CAF 2017- 2022 Education Agenda: to increase access to and completion of secondary education and to strengthen the quality and relevance of education, so every child and youth acquires the necessary skills for life and work in the 21st century. This report builds on our joint expertise related to youth skills and employment and leverages CAF’s regional leadership and R4D’s deep experience conducting action-oriented research and analysis. It is our hope that these findings and recommendations guide and influence policymakers, researchers, and practitioners working to achieve universal secondary education in Latin America and the Caribbean. Julián Suárez Migliozzi Gina Lagomarsino Corporate Vice President of social Development President and CEO CAF – Development Bank of Latin America Results for Development Executive Summary Most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have reached universal primary education and have made significant strides over the past 25 years in expanding access to secondary education. More than 90 percent of children (96 percent of boys and 94 percent of girls) now transition successfully from primary to lower secondary school with nearly 80 percent completing the first cycle of secondary education (UNESCO, 2017a). However, despite being mandatory in many countries in the region, the upper secondary education completion rate is only 59 percent and varies significantly by country as well as gender (UNESCO Institute of Statistics, n.d.). Young women continue to complete secondary school at higher rates than young men and the gap between these two groups widened between 1990 and 2010, from 6 to 9 percent (Bassi et al., 2013). The high level of secondary school dropout is concerning and has significant economic short- and long-term implications for the region. Students who drop out of school may not obtain the relevant skills to contribute productively to the economy, and are more likely to engage in crime and violence, substance abuse, and risky sexual activity that can pose threats to both their individual well-being and the economic growth in their countries (Adelman & Székely, 2016; Cunningham et al., 2008; Kattan & Székely, 2015). This study explores lessons on reducing secondary school dropouts from Mexico and Chile and provides recommendations on how decision-makers in the region can counter this challenge. The analysis employs both primary and secondary research. It begins with a literature review to identify both endogenous and exogenous factors
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