Academic Resilience Among Low ESCS Students in Italy

In Italy, academic achievement and university enrolment are significantly influenced by family socioeconomic status. Despite these challenges, a group of students from low ESCS backgrounds demonstrates academic resilience, achieving high performance and continuing their education. This study examines the factors that contribute to such resilience, focusing on the influences of region and school type through a multinomial modelling approach that considers both high school performance and university enrolment decisions. The results indicate that school effectiveness is the strongest predictor of academic resilience, particularly in relation to the transition to post-secondary education. This finding emphasises the vital role that institutional quality plays in compensating for socioeconomic disadvantages. Additionally, the main findings highlight the ongoing impact of social origin on disadvantaged high achievers and reveal a structured pattern of talent loss among them.