Tracking Effects on School Achievement: A Quantitative Explanation in Terms of the Academic Culture of School Staff

Research into educational stratification has consistently demonstrated an effect of tracking on pupils' achievement. Teachers' instructional practice forms a possible mechanism through which tracking affects achievement. I aim to test quantitatively this mediating role of instructional practice. I use data of 3,760 pupils and 745 members of staff in 34 secondary education schools in Flanders (Belgium). Multilevel analyses show that the school type (general or technical‐vocational) affects the pupil's chance of failing, controlling for individual pupil features (e.g., ability), and that the academic staff culture mediates this effect of school type.