RENDIMIENTO ACADÉMICO UNIVERSITARIO, SEGÚN EL MODELO DE BACHILLERATO POR ESPECIALIDADES Y EL BACHILLERATO GENERAL UNIFICADO DEL ECUADOR, ESTUDIO DE CASO EN LA UNIVERSIDAD DE CUENCA 2012-2018

This study aroused with the purpose of comparing the performance averages obtained by the students who attended the frst semester in the 2016-2018 cohorts of the Unifed General Baccalaureate and those who entered the 2012-2013 cohorts of the Specialty Baccalaureate, by taking into account the admission and leveling processes started in 2012. A mixed methodology was applied to a probabilistic sample of 636 records for the frst cohort which belonged to the Specialty Baccalaureate (ESB) and 678 records for the cohort of the Unifed General Baccalaureate (UGB). The sample had an allocation of three years of study per each cohort. The results show that there are signifcant diferences with a better performance in the case of the UBG. A positive infuence of the leveling processes was also found. A tendency to improve performance was observed, especially in social sciences programs. The qualitative evidence presents divided opinions about the admission and leveling processes. The experts suppose an advance of the UGB that is not necessarily revealed in student´s performance in the frst university years due to the disconnection between the baccalaureate and higher education