Hi, I think they are equivalent, but I'm not sure!
In Italy students start to attend the "scuola media superiore" (simply known as "scuola superiore") when they are 14, and finish when they are 19, because it lasts 5 years; there are different types, for example:
-Liceo (scientifico, classico, artistico..)
-Istituto tecnico
-Istituto professionale