Social origin and risk of school failure: Race-economic capital

Abstract

Retention rate in Brazil is constant and still high since 1998, despite major improvement in its educatonal flux during the decade of 1990. Moreover, administrative data from the last two years indicates some tendency of greater retenton. Using data from the 2001 Brazilian Assessment of Educatonal Progress, 8th grade, we investigated the relationship between social background and risk of retention in primary and middle school of Brazilian states capitals. The result of the estimation of logistic risk models for retention pointed out that several socio-demographic variables are associated to an increased risk of retenton, something that is well in line with the findings already described in the literature. We also identified that if above average economic status protects against retention, this is not a homogeneous result for all race subgroups: for black students, this variable is associated to an increased risk of retention. Consequences for educational policy are discussed. © 2007 Fundação Carlos Chagas.