The research examines, within the Chilean context, the link between school stratification processes and curricular differentiation between the scientific-humanistic and technical- professional modalities (HC and TP, respectively), considering the organizational variations in their provision (specialized or versatile). The focus is on identifying whether coupling both study modalities in the same educational unit reduces the unequal distribution of students based on socioeconomic status and the gaps in access to higher education between HC and TP groups.
By introducing the organizational dimension in the investigation of the effects of curricular differentiation in secondary education, the study highlights the importance of system designs and school practices in amplifying or reducing educational inequities. The results indicate that versatility tends to only partially attenuate the magnitude of the undesired effects of curricular differentiation, without being associated with a more comprehensive perspective on the development of secondary education offerings.
