This essay contrasts institutionalized tracks through the educational system with individual school biographies. These institutionalized paths through the different types of schools of the secondary educational system on the one hand can be analysed comprehensively by means of a wide range of publicly available statistical data. Individual school biographies on the other hand are difficult to figure out as these require either re-constructively organized or longitudinal studies. This article follows both research approaches focussing on educational biographies by the end of the Sekundarstufe I. A special stress is layn upon working out research questions that deserve further analysis.