The practice of tracking is nearly omnipresent in the American education system as it is today. Tracking is the practice of separating students into different classes based on academic ability. While many schools may report that they do not use tracking, the majority of teachers admit that they group students within classrooms by ability, which is a milder version of tracking. The problem with tracking is that it exacerbates the achievement gap because minority students are disproportionately placed in lower tracks.
Tag: Tracking
Tracking is a divisive practice within the world of education, with policy makers on both sides either heralding it as a practice that benefits everyone on all tracks by providing and individualized approach to teaching, and others saying it only benefits those in the higher tracks by providing these high tracks with the best quality of teachers, creating large gaps of knowledge. When lower and higher tracks drift farther apart from each other, this causes the achievement gap to increase between white students and black students. Continue reading
Tracking, also referred to as ability grouping, has become a widespread practice in the United States. From as early as kindergarten, students are frequently placed into small groups determined by their apparent “skill level.” This grouping continues throughout a student’s schooling, and is a major contributor to the pervasive achievement gap. Continue reading