Factores promotores o bloqueadores del éxito educativo en poblaciones vulnerables. Resultados y reflexiones a partir del Programa de Aulas Comunitarias.

This paper analyzes key factors for educational success in vulnerable populations, using the experience of “Programa de Aulas Comunitarias” (PAC) of INFAMILIA-CES. This program –an institutional arrangement new for Uruguay- consists in formal and informal education based on OSC territorial experience. The objective is to attract teens who drop- out at the first year of lower secondary, with an emphasis on motivational, integration and interactional issues. By the estimation of probit models, we present evidence that such programs are successful in situations of educational failure at disadvantaged students, and that their teaching approach has relevance both in achievement and permanence in the system. Family involvement plays an important role in at student's performance. However, there exist some "hard core" of students that the program cannot retain, consisting mainly in those who work or perform tasks at home. It will be necessary to evaluate additional measures to reach all them.