Protected Environment and its Relationship with Academic Performance in SIMCE Tests

Abstract

This study analyzes the psychometric properties and relevance of the Protected Environment Index developed by the Quality of Education Agency, as measured through the 2023 Quality and Context of Education questionnaires applied to 4th-grade primary and 10th-grade secondary students (2nd grade of secondary school) as part of the assessment in the National System for Measuring the Quality of Education (SIMCE). The distribution of the index is examined, comparing differences by gender, socioeconomic group, and rurality, as well as its association with academic performance in reading and mathematics through hierarchical regression models. The results confirm the validity of the index, showing adequate internal consistency and good model fit in the confirmatory factor analysis. A positive and statistically significant association is observed between this indicator and performance on the SIMCE tests, with a more pronounced effect in 4th grade. Interaction analyses show that these associations vary by socioeconomic group and grade level. Specifically, in 4th grade, a protected environment is associated with a greater increase in SIMCE scores for students from the medium-low socioeconomic status group compared to other groups. The gender variable shows a statistically significant but small interaction, while rurality shows no significant interaction. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening school coexistence and addressing violence among students as key factors for improving educational quality and students' academic performance.