The reading gap in the Dominican Republic : education system or socioeconomic vulnerability?

Abstract

This study examined differences in reading performance between public and private school students in the Dominican Republic—a country with historically low reading achievement in international assessments—and explored the influence of socioeconomic factors on these outcomes. A total of 1,168 students from second grade to the beginning of secondary school were assessed using standardized instruments to evaluate psycholinguistic precursors of reading (phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, short-term verbal memory, and alphabetic knowledge), oral language skills (vocabulary, grammatical comprehension, and oral comprehension), and reading performance (fluency and comprehension). Results revealed significant performance differences between public and private school students across nearly all variables, with medium to large effect sizes favoring the private system, particularly in reading fluency. Linear regression analyses identified family income as the most consistent predictor of reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, while parental education also showed specific effects by grade level. Controlling for socioeconomic status (SES) substantially reduced or eliminated most differences between systems, especially in comprehension and linguistic skills, suggesting that SES explains much of the educational gap linked to structural inequalities. However, medium effect sizes persisted in decoding fluency, indicating a possible residual impact of the educational system. Findings underscore the urgent need to strengthen early reading instruction and to ensure universal access to high-quality pre-primary education, as 40% of public-school students lack functional reading ability by the end of 2nd grade. These results highlight the importance of educational policies aimed at mitigating structural inequities and promoting equitable literacy development in the Dominican Republic.