Schooling processes and educational outcomes in France

Analyzed are data from a longitudinal study of a cohort of French pupils over the years 1962-1972, numbering 21,534 initially & 15,601 at the survey's end. Direct & indirect effects on years of educational attainment are assessed for father's occupation, academic performance, influence of significant others, & sex. Important effects are found from sex & curriculum placement. No differences due to community size are found; this is attributable to the centralized nature of French education. Both academic performance & the ascriptive factors of sex & father's occupation affect educational attainment, but do not interact, suggesting that strong norms of achievement exist even within systems relying heavily on norms of scholarship. Findings strongly suggest the usefulness of an organizational approach to the process of educational attainment. 8 Tables. Modified HA.