The transition to secondary school of the second generation of immigrants in Italy

Nicola Barban, University of Padua
Michael J. White, Brown University

Secondary school is one of the most important choices for students, because it has a strong bearing on their ultimate educational achievement and labor force trajectory. In this paper we analyze the effect of the generational status and the length of residence on the transition to secondary school for immigrants living in Italy. Using data from the follow-up of ITAGEN2, we analyze the scholastic outcomes of the final exam of Middle school and the choice of the type of secondary school among the adolescents in Italy. Our multivariate results indicate that, after controlling for the human capital of the family and other key background factors, immigrants and second generation students show greater propensity to choose the vocational path. Differences in secondary school track between immigrants and natives are manifest also, once previous scholastic results are taken into account.