Student Tracking

Tracking is segregating students into different classrooms based upon their academic ability (Houghton, V) At first glance this may seem like a good idea and beneficial to the education of all students. Why not put students where they can be challenged at a pace they can handle while allowing gifted students to take the ball and run? After all, doesn’t the law of the land say that everyone deserves a free education. If gifted students are not being challenged, are they really being educated? What about students that don’t show the intellectual ability to achieve at a higher level? Are they allowed to try because they want the challenge? The list of what if’s and how to’s is long and both sides of this issue seem to be very adamant …show more content…
Proponents of ability grouping say that the practice allows teachers to tailor the pace and content of instruction much better to students' needs and, thus, improve student achievement (Research Spotlight on Academic Ability Grouping). Even Anne Wheelock, who seems to be against the idea of tracking and grouping students, agrees that in certain cases grouping students by ability works well in the classroom. “Schools I've found that are exploring alternatives to tracking set up temporary groups for students who have similar skill levels, such as groups who need help grasping the concept of subtraction. Kids get extra help, not "insteadof" help” (Wheelock, A.) She is not alone in this thinking. The information from data, from theory and, most important, from decades of experience show that ability grouping or tracking can have a big payoff (Sacerdote, B.) Sacerdote and others did research at the US Air Force Academy concerning grouping and the effects of different dynamics in the group. They found that students benefit from their peers, but the positive benefits of this grouping disappear if the group comprises the highest-ability and lowest ability-cadets. I understand this concept. I remember too often in high school getting put into “group project” groups where the teachers tried to put …show more content…
The ultra intelligent student has very important needs and issues that need to be addressed by the school. Simply giving them more work to do because it is easy and they finish quickly is not the answer. They cannot be expected to always do independent study. According to the video “Top Ten Myths In Gifted Education, 2010” gifted students need support and guidance to help them understand the world. They should not be excluded from the classroom and should not be used as role models for other students. Many teachers use the excuse that they were not trained to teach students like them and districts are worried that a special program would cost too much