Conference Program

The literature on the consequences of school composition has a long tradition, particularly in Anglo-Saxon contexts, and one of the main strands of research has focused on its impact on students’ learning outcomes. However, the dynamics underlying the effects of segregation on school performance and levels of learning remain complex (Baysu and de Valk 2012; Dronkers et al. 2011). Several factors may be involved, including peer-group influence, teaching practices, and management processes related to school organization (van Ewijk et al. 2010; Thrupp and Lauder 2006).

Most existing research focuses on the role of peers (Borgen 2023; Caponera and Losito 2016), but teachers and class organization may be equally important in shaping the consequences of segregation. Teachers may respond to the composition of the student intake by reallocating time, adapting the pace of instruction, and adjusting expectations (Boone et al. 2018; Kalogrides et al. 2013). With regard to school organization, relevant dynamics include teacher recruitment, retention, and turnover; the quality and experience of the teaching staff; the curricular offer; the educational framework; and the working climate (van Ewijk et al. 2010; Scafidi et al. 2007).

Focusing on the case of Milan, this contribution has two main aims. First, it examines the extent to which the socio-economic and ethnic composition of classes affects students’ achievement in standardized tests in Reading and Mathematics. Drawing on INVALSI microdata for Grade 8 students, this statistical analysis shows that the concentration of disadvantaged students – particularly those from low socio-economic and/or migrant backgrounds - is associated with lower performance, above and beyond the effect of individual characteristics, including prior achievement.

However, such analysis alone does not fully capture the mechanisms through which class composition affects learning outcomes. Hence, the contribution draws also on qualitative research conducted in two lower secondary schools in peripheral areas of Milan. Data are based on interviews with teachers and principals and explore the challenges associated with managing particularly complex classes where multiple forms of disadvantage tend to concentrate. Schools report a growing presence of students with specific learning needs, which adds to the newly arrived migrant students and students with migrant background. This results in classrooms characterized by multiple and heterogeneous educational needs, requiring different forms of pedagogical support and attention. Teachers describe how this complexity often constrains teaching practices, limiting the range of strategies they can effectively implement and reducing the time available for curriculum development and deeper learning activities. As a consequence, the overall pace of instruction may slow down, potentially affecting the learning opportunities of the entire class.

These processes may also have broader implications. The concentration of disadvantages can negatively affect the reputation of schools, contributing to processes of stigmatization. In turn, this may encourage avoidance behaviors among middle-class families, who may opt for other schools or for more selective curricular tracks within the same school, such as music programs, where students with more favorable socio-economic backgrounds tend to concentrate. These dynamics may further reinforce both territorial and within-school segregation, contributing to the reproduction of educational inequalities.