How Much Does Junior High School Advance its Graduates? / כיצד קידמה חטיבת-הביניים את תלמידיה?

Are graduates of the new junior high school more likely to finish high school than graduates of the traditional elementary school? This follow-up study provides additional data to help evaluate the reform in the structure of Israeli education which began in 1968. Information was obtained from official records on the actual academic status and achievements of a sample of 4,100 graduates of 19 junior high schools and 19 elementary schools three or four years after graduation, respectively. The major finding was that the average length of schooling for the junior high school graduates was 11.26 years, compared with 11.14 years for graduates of the eight-year elementary schools. A detailed analysis showed that although junior high school increased the schooling of poor to average students, it made no difference to students of high ability. In state religious schools, able graduates of traditional elementary schools actually fared better than those who studied in the junior high schools. In general, graduates of junior high schools succeeded slightly, but significantly better than students of the control group. This advantage is explained not by any better intellectual preparation provided by the junior high school, but rather by the slightly prolonged schooling of these graduates. Some practical implications are suggested by the researchers in light of these findings.