College social position indices (2016-2021)

The Social Position Index (SPI) makes it possible to apprehend the social status of pupils from the social professions and categories (SCI) of their parents. For each SPC, the numerical value of the SPI corresponds to a quantitative summary of a set of socio-economic and cultural attributes related to academic achievement. Specifically, to determine the values associated with each CSP, we considered the weighted average of characteristics such as diplomas, cultural practices, material conditions, cultural capital and parental involvement in schooling. This statistical methodology is described in Rocher’s article (2016) and is based on a method of data analysis (multiple correspondence analysis) carried out from the DEPP panel of pupils who entered sixth grade in 2007. The IPS reference values are available for each PCS and for each PCS crossing (mother-father), see Rocher (2016) (passing table available as attachment below). Thus, once the parents’ SPCs have been collected, it is sufficient to apply the SPI reference values. The social level of a school is assessed through the calculation of the average IPS of the students who are in school there. It should be borne in mind that, like any summary index, it is a simplified summary of reality, which cannot on its own reflect the complexity of the socio-economic and cultural situation of pupils admitted to an establishment. Finally, since the SPI is based on the SPCs reported by families and registered by institutions, it is subject to a certain margin of error: Thus, it is advisable not to over-interpret differences of 3 points or less concerning the average IPS of institutions. The social heterogeneity index of an institution corresponds to the standard deviation of the social position index (SPI) of its students. The higher it is, the more diverse the social profile of students. This index has been calculated since the start of the 2019 academic year only for second-degree institutions. Field: The file provides the average IPS within an establishment and the standard deviation of the IPS of its pupils for the French colleges under the supervision of National Education, public and private under contract, calculated on the basis of data from the N school year and for all the pupils in the establishment. In the file provided, each line corresponds to a college for a given school year. Reference: Rocher, T. (2016). Construction of a social position index for pupils. _Education & Training _, DEPP, 90, pp.5-27. Dauphant F., Evain F., Guillerm M., Simon C., Rocher T. (2023), The Social Position Index (SPI): a statistical tool to describe social inequalities between institutions. _Information note from Depp._