多年來，臺灣的教育改革企圖降低學生的學習壓力，努力使課程生活化與正常化。但相關調查顯示，臺灣大部分地區的國中仍以不同的名目進行著能力分班。能力分班的優缺點及其在區域間的差異，都是值得深入探究的問題。同時，高比例參與補習的現象，也無疑不再能單從學生的學習成就及其家庭社經背景的差異來解釋。本研究以「臺灣教育長期追蹤資料庫」（TEPS）2005年第三波高中職學生及家長的問卷進行量化分析，再輔以實際的深入訪談，分析城鄉差距及學校屬性如何左右能力分班與補習對學習成效的影響。研究結果顯示，就地域特徵而言，都市化程度較高的地區，國中能力分班的比例較低，學生參加補習的比例較高，學習成效也較高。就學校屬性而言，公立學校的學生參加補習的比例較高，學習成效亦較佳。此外，能力分班與補習行為的確會因地區差異和學校屬性，對學習成效產生程度不同的影響。

Taiwan Government has been executing the educational reform programs for more than two decades. However, Taiwan’s cram schools are even more popular and diversified than before; and the so called ability grouping which is prohibited by Taiwan Government is still found in many places. We argue that, in addition to individual’s socio-economic background, regional characteristics and school attributes also play important roles. As bringing these two factors back in, the causal relationships among ability grouping, cram schooling, and academic performances can be analyzed more accurately. Using data from Taiwan Education Panel Survey, our empirical results show that, first of all, in more urbanized area, ability grouping is less popular but cram school participation is wider spread these years. Secondly, the effects of family backgrounds on students’ cram school participation are not as critical as they were before. Thirdly, ability grouping and students’ performance are positively associated but the internal mechanism still needs further investigation.