The Complex Chains of Education Inequalities in Italy. Understanding Interplays between Ascriptive and School-Tracks Factors

In this paper, we comment findings from multiple estimations and correlations statistically obtained in order to assess the effects of ascriptive variables on educational inequalities among Italian students’ achievements measured via OECD PISA scores in school skills and educational expectations. Additionally, we split the effects deriving from ascriptive variables and those from students’ track choices among the three upper secondary options available: liceo (lyceum), istituto tecnico (technical track) and istituto professionale (professional track). We aim at finding out social and educational mechanisms generating differentials in skills outcomes and at intercepting and evaluating the influence of ascriptive variables on track choices.