I don't believe that grouping by abilities is the best enviroment for children to learn in. It is as if you are telling a child in a low group that he/she has limited capabilities when compared to a child in a high group. You are saying that he/she will never be able to succeed at the same level. Not only are you doing a disservice to the child but also to the entire class. Children sometimes learn more from other children.When children are placed in low ability groups it only encourages negative feelings about ones on self-image

The students I work with do have self esteem issues due to being in a lower track program in high school. I feel some of the students would benefit greatly from being in a regular classroom and working with a diverse group of peers.

I agree that tracking and ability grouping seem like bad ideas. I have very little experience with grouping, but I can imagine how inferior many of the lower level students must feel. I think that one of the best learning environments is being around students of all different learning levels. This may sound entirely too optimistic, but I think kids can really learn from each other. I think it's a bad idea to have kids thinking they're not as intelligent as their peers, especially in the lower grades.

I agree with all of you. Kids do learn from one another. I think high level kids have just as much to learn from your low level students as the low level learn from the high. I think in elementary classrooms you can having your reading groups with in the classroom, but all of the students are still in the same classroom through the entire day. They don't feel negelected. I also think you need to keep all levels of students in the same classroom where students of different backgrounds have the opportunity to interact with one another. If you use ability groups your high level students will not have much contact with the lower level students and thus not respect who they are.

I agree that in high school you should try and keep everybody in the same class, I dont think there should be a certain track...because you could change your mind or start to really take off and want to change tracks. But in elementary school it really benefited me to be in a class with kids on my similiar level. I remember back before I changed schools, from the one that put us in different classes that, this other school had put us all the same one. Maybe Im the only one that feels like this, but I felt dumb in some cases. At least when I was put in a class that was on the same level as me, I felt like I was one of the best of my class. I didnt feel left out and I didnt feel neglected. In fact my teachers paid more attention to me, and helped me understand what was going on, so that the next year I was able to be in all average or above average classes. I remember this one time when I was with all levels, that I said an answer and the boy in front of me turned around and said, "No are you stupid? Its like this....." Did I ever feel like scum of the earth? And the teacher didnt do a thing about it. But anyways Ive had good experiences with ability grouping, but I would want to pull away from that in high school.