The Startchancen programme of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research addresses primary, secondary and vocational schools in socially challenging situations in all federal states. The programme focuses on strengthening students' basic skills in German and mathematics, supporting their personal development and promoting their readiness for training and employment. In addition, school development activities are to be initiated and scientifically monitored. By the 2024/25 school year, 2,125 schools across Germany have joined the programme, with the aim of supporting over 4,000 schools by the 2026/2027 school year.

Funding is provided through three programme pillars:

1. Investment in school equipment and infrastructure to create a supportive learning environment
2. "Chancenbudgets" to strengthen autonomous school and teaching development
3. Expansion of multi-professional teams

Overall, the comprehensive package of measures adopted by the federal and state governments aims to reduce educational inequalities based on origin.

The Startchancen programme is scientifically monitored and evaluated. The scientific evaluation is carried out by an interdisciplinary research consortium (see project profile) led by the infas Institute for Applied Social Science. Its task is to examine the impact and cost-effectiveness of the programme from an individual, institutional and systemic perspective.

Impact at the individual level: Increasing students' educational and participation opportunities, improving their skills and strengthening their personalities

Impact at the institutional level: School and teaching development, establishment of participation and coordination processes at Startchancen schools, networking in the school social environment, establishment and expansion of school networks and extracurricular cooperation

Impact at the systemic level: binding and constructive cooperation formats between the education administration, the responsible authorities, the school boards and those responsible in the schools, increasing the effectiveness of the support system, economic efficiency of the programme

• Project lead: Institute for Applied Social Science (infas)
• Project lead at LIfBi: Prof. Dr. Cordula Artelt, Prof. Dr. Corinna Kleinert, Prof. Dr. Marcel Helbig
• Project partners in the consortium:
  • Doris Hess, Institute for Applied Social Science,
    contact via StartchancenPL@infas.de
  • Prof. Dr. Benjamin Nagengast, Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology at the University of Tübingen
  • Prof. Dr. Corinna Kleinert, Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi)
  • Prof. Dr. Marcel Helbig, Leibniz Institute for Educational Trajectories (LIfBi)
  • Svenja Bundt und Jens Gomolka, International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Hamburg,
    contact via startchancen@iea-hamburg.de
  • Prof. Dr. Marco Caliendo, University of Potsdam | Evaluation Office Caliendo & Partner
  • Dr. Mathias Huebener, Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB)
  • Dr. Stefan Schipolowski, Institute for Educational Quality Improvement (IQB)
• Project duration: 11/2024 – 06/2030
• Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
• Contact: startchancen@lifbi.de
• Link to this page: www.lifbi.de/startchancen-evaluation