MAIN-TRACK PERSISTENCE AND PLATFORM ENGAGEMENT OF INCLUSIVE LEARNERS IN AN INTENSIVE PEER-TO-PEER CODING ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

This study examines main-track persistence and platform engagement among inclusive learners after entry into the Digital Engineering School (DES), Tashkent main track. The empirical analysis uses six main-track cohort rosters dated 16 May 2026 and platform profile exports for the inclusive learner population. Thirteen inclusive learners appeared in the main-track rosters; three were recorded as deactivated and ten as active, producing a deactivation rate of 23.1%. Among non-inclusive learners in the corresponding cohorts, 195 of 1,184 were deactivated (16.5%). Fisher’s exact test showed no statistically significant aggregate difference (p = 0.46). Within the inclusive group, learners who passed the pool had a median cumulative XP of 4,162 compared with 0 XP among those who did not; Mann–Whitney U = 117, two-sided p = 0.00009, with complete rank separation. Completed and failed project counts also differed. The findings show that main-track persistence, platform engagement and administrative exit status represent distinct dimensions of learner trajectory and should not be collapsed into a single indicator of inclusion.