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 Ability Grouping 
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I just wanted to see if anyone else has strong feelings about this issue so I will put out this question: If there is so much evidence that ability grouping and tracking has negative effects on those separated into the lower groups and has little to no effect on those who are in the higher groups, why do we continue with this unequal treatment of students?

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Emily Suzanne White


Mon Oct 06, 2008 11:27 pm
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I for one don't like tracking either. I feel like it greatly narrowed the number of people I came into contact with during school and in some ways sheltered my particular group. I'm not sure why we still use this antiquated method, but, I could guess that it has something to do with it being "easy." If a teacher knows what level she is teaching to, then it pretty much takes the guess work out. I'm not saying that this is beneficial to students, because I believe that by having high expectations for all students we will see a higher success rate, but it could be an explaination.

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Amanda Klinger


Tue Oct 07, 2008 11:58 am
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I'm definitely not an expert on this issue, but I think it all comes back to instruction and expectations. If it is done right, I can see the benefits of tracking - but of course I stress "If it is done right!" I feel like it maybe allows students to learn at the pace that is right for them - not boring the higher groups, but not pressuring the lower groups. But at the same time, it could definitely limit students' exposure to new ideas and new challenges and new people, and without strong encouragement and challenge, I see how students in the lower groupings might have lower expectations, yielding lower results. In the end, I think a good teacher should be able to create a classroom environment conducive to all students at all levels of learning.


Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:31 pm
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When I was in middle school I remember having a student in our class who excelled above all of the other students in math. Our teacher and her parents' solution to this was to sit her in the corner during 6th grade math class to work on an algebra book (typically not seen at our school until 8th grade or higher) by herself. She finished the book and the algebra teachers checked her work to make sure that she was doing the problems correctly... but what did she learn? What did we learn? That if we are "smarter" than everyone else we are put in the corner alone to do work? I feel that she would have benefited from a classroom setting that was closer to where she needed to be. This would probably be something along the lines of a higher level math class or maybe sitting in with one of the upper grades. Either way this student would be pointed out as being different because she was, in a sense. She excelled in math and attention (GOOD attention, not negative) needed to be drawn to that so that she got everything it was she needed.

However, if students are constantly ostracized from their classmates based on how they do in certain subjects, we may be subconsciously teaching elitism or a type of hierarchal system where the smartest are at the top and the dumbest are at the bottom (hopefully, a grotesque exaggeration.)

I agree with Jennifer that if it is done well and responsibly and teachers put the effort into it that is needed, it can be beneficial. But it should not be a school's single way of deciding how best to teach their students.

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~~Kari Tatum~~


Tue Oct 07, 2008 2:14 pm
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Tracking at some extent can be beneficial to some students. However, most of the time tracking and ability grouping is not handled sufficiently. I think schools want to excel and show that they have a certain amount of AP classes or a certain amount of gifted tracks so that they seem better and brighter than other schools in the county. To me a lot of things in school and public education come back to making the principal and school look good, but at the students' expense. In my high school you had to meet with the principal before you could take the SAT and then you had to be approved. So basically we had high SAT scores because only the smart students had a chance to take the test.

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Lauren Jennings


Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:55 pm
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I completely agree with Jennifer. I think tracking can be wonderful if it is done right. I'm acually suprised at the results from the research talked about in class. I wonder exactly how they formed those results anyways. I mean, logically, it makes sense to group students with similar academic schools. That way schoolwork can be modified to fit the students' needs and help them grow at they own pace together. Otherwise, you have scenaros like Kari said about a student who was very accelerated and stuck in a corner instead of growing her knowledge. If tracks aren't split and you have so much variety in a class, you will probably teach to the "normal" speed and therefore exclude the slower and faster learners. I understand as teachers it is our job to modify for every student but with 30 students in a class it is more difficult and less likely to do than if kids were around the same pace. As long as teachers don't have low expectations for ANY group of student and they help the students grow, it could be very successful in my opinion.

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Jessica Placke


Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:42 pm
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Jessica said at the end that "As long as teachers don't have low expectations for ANY group of student and they help the students grow, it could be very successful in my opinion." I think thats the only problem with tracking. The teachers "dumb down" the work for the students in the lower groups, and expect too much out of the other groups. I do think that students should be grouped together, but with reasonable expectations for all groups.

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Jerry Nicole Whitener (Nicole)


Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:37 am
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I agree that sometimes ability grouping can be harmful, but like many have said - if it is done right I believe it can be helpful. I do think all students need to be challenged though. Like Nicole said, things shouldn't be "dumbed down" for the lower ability groups, but just taught in a way that will still challenge them and in a way they can better understand. Also, higher groups should be challenged as well, but not overly challenged. That is why ability grouping can be useful, so everyone can be challenged in a way that is helpful to them. It is a delicate balance and can be hard to do. I think that is why it doesn't work much of the time.

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Brittany Norman


Fri Oct 10, 2008 1:06 pm
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I really don’t know an exact answer for this. I think it occurs because of several factors and groups of people. The first factor is the fact that teachers and administrators alike have the mindset that groups in the AP and honors level are better disciplined and succeed more often than those at the lower levels. Also having an AP and honors program reflects well on the school. The second factor is that it is easier for teachers to prepare for classrooms that are tracked, because they know the types of students in these classes and think they can gauge their behavior accordingly. The third factor is this process is parents; some parents really and truly believe that their student is getting better instruction if they are separated from their lower achieving peers. From my own schooling experience, I can tell you that tracking definitely does not work. I went to a private school that was already academically challenging, but they still split students into AP, honors, and regular classes. I rarely if ever saw any of my friends or other classmates that were not in my track, and even to this day some of my friends think I am “smarterâ€

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Kerry Crosby Smith


Mon Oct 13, 2008 2:58 pm
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I think that the America's statistical mindset heavily influences the fact that students are tracked and grouped in the manner that they are. This is a nation that loves numbers and believes that anything can be counted, tested, or observed. It seems that our policy makers aren't aware of the negative aspects of these methods. By grouping and counting we are ignore the individual abilities of students and stifling their societal gains. This does not mean that we should not evaluate our student' progress. I am not sure what the answer is but I am certain that it involves ignoring numbers and divisions.

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Corey J. Tucker


Mon Oct 13, 2008 7:44 pm
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I am an example of ability grouping. In elementary school it became very clear in the early grades that I excelled at math. By the time I hit 6th grade I was moving into high school level math (algebra, geometry, etc.) My parents had a meeting with my math teacher and principal about bussing me over to the high school for math classes. Because that did not seem like the best option, my math teacher began to work with me seperately every day in class. I sat in on the class lectures and such, but then my teacher pulled me aside and worked with me in a higher book. Not only did I get the experience of participating in a class, but I was able to receive instruction at an appropriate and challenging level that met my learning needs. I thought it worked very well.

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April Wilkinson


Wed Oct 22, 2008 10:19 am
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