Effect of the Excellence Baccalaureate Programs (CAM) on academic achievement

Efecto del Programa de Excelencia de Bachillerato (CAM) en el rendimiento académico

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The first purpose of the study is to confirm the profile of high-achieving students who undertake the Excellence Baccalaureate Program of the Community of Madrid (CAM), who are characterized by special levels of ability and motivation. The second objective is to determine whether the average grades of these students improve during the Baccalaureate stage. METHOD: This study followed a quasi-experimental and longitudinal design with a control group. The sample included 406 students, 48.77% male and 51.23% female, aged 15 to 18, enrolled in educational centres in the CAM. Two groups were formed, an Excellence group and a Standard group, based on whether they obtained a grade of 8 out of 10 or higher in the compulsory subjects of the 4th year of compulsory secondary education (ESO). A General Linear Model with repeated measures was employed to compare students' average grades across three time points. RESULTS and DISCUSSION: The results confirmed that high-achieving students show special levels of ability and motivation. The average grades of the students in the first year of the Baccalaureate in the Excellence group were comparable to those of the students in the Standard group. In the second year, the Excellence group achieved a higher average grade. Overall, the findings suggest that participation in the program is not associated with academic disadvantage among high-achieving students. On the contrary, their average grade improved in the second year of the Baccalaureate, with particularly strong academic performance in Spanish Language and Literature.