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Kaitlyn Collins

Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1103H

28 October 2019

Getting off Track: Does Academic Tracking Create an Automatic Bias?

Introduction

Walking through an American public school today, you’re likely to see what most people

associate with them: cliques in the cafeteria, classes waiting to hear the final bell to ring, and

teachers trying their best to keep students motivated until the final bell. However, if you

observed an Advanced Placement and a regular class in the same school, you would most likely

think they were being taught in completely different schools. Despite being educated in the same

building, students that are labeled as gifted or take more rigorous courses are more likely to be

given opportunities that will help them achieve success over the rest of their peers. An example

like this is an effect of academic tracking, defined by the ​National Education Association​ as “the

practice of grouping children together according to their talents in the classroom.” Tracking can

allow for specialized focus in classrooms so those who learn at different paces can effectively

understand instructions and curriculum from their teachers. Students are usually grouped as early

as elementary school and continue to be on the same “track” until they graduate from high

school; but how are they placed on these tracks? Are all students guaranteed the same education
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and opportunities when placed in different groups? What effects does this have on students’

futures?

Positives/Pros to Tracking

Academic tracking can get a bad reputation due to the negative connotation surrounding

it, but some have found beneficial factors to this grouping method. Some people believe that

placing students on tracks is the best method to serve the differing educational needs of all

children. If some students struggle more than others, either more time will have to be used to

explain or they may have to put more time and effort into their studies outside of the classroom.

At the same time, another group of students who are restricted by slower paced courses tend to

become bored with the material. This article published by ​The Washington Post ​ends the opinion

editorial with a thought-provoking statement: “The message sent to high-achieving students is

that they should hit the pause button on their learning until other students catch up. In the 21st

Century economy, there is not time” (Strauss). This leads people to believe that students must

compromise in their education so their peers can succeed while they fall behind or finish

assignments at a rapid speed.

Another article from ​The Atlantic ​discusses new research from the Brookings Institute

who claims that without tracking beginning in eighth-grade math classes, students will not be

able to comprehend higher mathematics (qtd. in Barshay, “When Academic Tracking Benefits”).

Tom Loveless, the author of this study, said “We’re talking about a very rarefied group of

high-achieving kids who are taking the toughest courses and the toughest tests. My point is that

they don’t just get there out of thin air. You need to cultivate talent over time in mathematics.”

He found that states that had higher ratings of tracking correlated to the percentage of students
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passing Advanced Placement (AP) exams; in Utah, they tracked 89 percent of its students in

eighth-grade math, and 70 percent of AP test takers in Utah passed their exam with a 3 or higher.

If students are tracked starting right before high school, they could benefit in the long scheme by

gaining higher mathematical skills that can assist them through the exams offering college credit

in high school.

The other study talked about in this article comes from two economists claiming that

academic tracking can close achievement gaps between high-IQ African American and Hispanic

children compared to white children. If these high-achieving minority students were placed in the

“gifted” classes, they were succeeding just as well as the best schools and continued to do so at

least until middle school (Barshay, “When Academic Tracking Benefits…). The researchers also

found that placing these minority children in higher achieving courses showed more growth than

moving a white child to the accelerated course. “We show that minority students have lower

achievement scores than white students with the same cognitive ability, and that placement in a

“gifted” class effectively closes this minority underachievement gap,” the researchers stated. If

educators are challenging all of their students, achievement and learning gaps would most likely

shrink, or better yet, not exist at all. On the other hand, students also have to show the same

motivation and competition for the highest grade to succeed which is usually seen in honors or

gifted classes.

Despite some advantages of tracking, many factors can play into a student’s life and

whether or not he or she is allowed into accelerated courses. The goal of education is to provide

students with the same base knowledge, but can that be done if every student has different

interests and strengths? A students’ financial and family background, mental ability, race or
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ethnicity, and standardized testing success are the main components in determining what course

of study they will be placed on with limited exceptions of change and growth out of

predetermined expectations.

Financial Barriers

Depending on where a student lives and how high or low property tax values are, schools

will have students whose families make lower salaries than others. The American Psychological

Association released research correlating socioeconomic status (SES) to a child’s education.

They found that children who come from lower-SES families are less likely to have access to

experiences that develop fundamental skills as well as information regarding higher education

options. On the other hand, families earning the highest income amounts are more likely to

obtain a bachelor’s degree by 24. Also, they are more likely to succeed in their career aspirations

and are more prepared for their vocational futures due to resources in their schools and families.

If students whose families cannot make higher incomes cannot access educational resources to

help them grow, this could create generational patterns that become even harder to break. If it

was not for school, some students, especially those with lower SES, could not gain and grow

from an education. If you separate adolescents based on income, you may eliminate tools they

would not receive if they were not in school, thus limiting what students can learn and

accomplish.

This epidemic is not only happening in the United States; in 2015, 33 countries that teach

content to kids differently based on family income account for one-third of the achievement gaps

in education worldwide (Barshay, “Schools Exacerbate Growing Achievement”). This report

shows that the Netherlands has the biggest achievement gap between its students with 58 percent
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of inequality contributed by unequal access to math courses. America was a little above average,

reporting with 37 percent of inequality. “In every society, we want school to be the great

equalizer, to help students overcome poverty. In effect, this study says that schooling is making

things worse,” said William H. Schmidt of Michigan State University, the lead author of the

study in which this data came from (qtd. in “Schools Exacerbate Growing Achievement”).

Schmidt believes that advanced students should dive deeper into the curriculum instead of taking

harder classes to decrease the achievement gap. The struggle for equal education is international

and educational professionals need to go back to the drawing board and view students of all

economic backgrounds with the same attitude.

Divides Outside of the Classroom (Social, Mental, etc.)

Most people think that academic tracking causes academic divides between groups of

people; not only can it do that, but it can also create social cliques and limit options for some

students more than others. In a study published in ​Remedial and Special Education​, research

showcased how academic tracking can create social divides in school between tracking groups.

Researchers took two high schools that used their tracks to separate students based on mental

capability and disability status and compared their social networks, defined as “ a tool that

provides direct benefits to a person or community as he or she utilizes these connections and

structures… to achieve desired outcomes and bring benefits to the community.” If a student

networks and gains connections with their fellow peers and community, they are more likely to

pursue higher education and a better sense of health and well-being. When students have access

to the same materials and get to collaborate with each other, they can expand their social activity

and ultimately their social capital. On the contrary, special education students are usually
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separated from the rest of their peers in a more restrictive environment and aren’t given access to

challenging curricula or social settings. Separating students to cater to their needs is important,

but are we catering to help with their success once they walk through those school doors? The

study suggests that students can increase inclusivity while making the transition to high school in

ninth grade while they are all on a clean slate. If we increase the social capital of teenagers with

disabilities, they can learn about technology and opportunities and not let a label hold them back

in what they do.

Racial Ties

While researching the harms of tracking, one reason was the most prevalent: a student’s

race plays a beneficial factor in deciding what track they are placed on. ​The Atlantic d​ ubs this

issue as the “modern day segregation” and believes tracking creates a “school within a school” in

education due to the uneven proportion of students in gifted and talented education (GATE)

programs across the country filled with predominantly white children. African American

children make up 17 percent of the nation’s total school population, yet less than 10 percent are

involved in GATE. In contrast, if you look at remedial rates, a reported 53 percent of students

were African American (Pirtle). This dilemma is occurring all over the nation and is so intense

that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had to step into a case in California where 16.3

percent of the district’s enrollment was African American but only 5.5 percent were in GATE

programs.

Due to the long and complicated history of segregation and treatment of African

Americans in the United States, some stipulations have stuck around in education that has

created this barrier between peers. Students who come from “privileged” families are most likely
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more available to donate time and money to their child’s school, hire tutors to help their children,

and know how to advocate for their child. The author begins the last paragraph with an impactful

sentence: “The education gap cannot be achieved without closing the racial empathy gap.” Until

we remove stereotypes and give all children access to the same courses or increase rigor in

non-GATE classes so students are gaining a more equal education.

In the article “​Integrating Classrooms and Reducing Academic Tracking,​ ” writer Halley

Potter evaluates the diversity in classrooms and comes up with multiple reasons to increase

equity in schools. She suggests schoolwide enrichment and open/embedded honors are some of

the ways to even the playing field. As nice as it is to have solutions for problems, these do not

come with a formula; each school is a different situation and has to figure out what would work

best in their districts.

The Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) was developed by professors at the University

of Connecticut that identifies “gifted behaviors” rather than putting a label of “gifted” or “not

gifted” on a child. In the District of Columbia, schools have used this model to group, not

separate, students based on common interests instead of measurements of ability to collaborate

on projects. In lieu of pulling students out of the classroom for specialized learning, they can

work with peers of different abilities, backgrounds, and more. This study suggests a gradual

growth of enrichment to allow everyone to understand and discuss how this system is important.

Another movement is the concept of “open honors’; this entails students taking the same

courses but honors sections complete extra assignments and activities to earn honors credit. For

example, Harvest Collegiate High School in New York City requires all but AP courses to offer

an honors class that they can apply for usually via a short statement of purpose. Students can
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change their minds up to one month after school starts if need be, but about 25 percent of the

total school population participates in this program. Students perform tasks outside of school,

such as tutoring a peer in English or researching events in history and can collaborate on

projects, events, and club-like meetings with each other. Giving teachers time to plan the extra

honors assignments and progressively build the program one department at a time should help

this program succeed in schools.

High Stakes Test Measurements

One of the main, and some might say the main, factor in determining a student’s track is

how well they perform on standardized testing, also known as “high stakes testing.” Jason

Giersch, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, discusses how

these tests correlate to academic tracking and the danger it poses to schools. He states

“Using statewide academic standards and uniform exams, states label stronger

and weaker performers at the student, teacher, and school levels and provide

incentives to raise test scores, especially for the lowest achieving students…

However, the push for consistency in achievement does not mean there is

consistency in instruction." (Giersch)

The main purpose of K-12 education is to prepare students to face the reality of the “real world,”

whether that means college, the workforce, the armed forces, and more. The push for

standardized education and how to measure that followed after the publication of ​A Nation At

Risk,​ a government issued warning to Americans that schools were underperforming and the

economic prospects were not looking good. After that, national legislation like “No Child Left

Behind” and “Race to the Top” that push for high standardized testing scores was passed, hoping
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to increase the success of the American education system. Many believe that pushing for high

test scores limits what can be learned and increased retention and teacher shortage rates,

interfering with the true purpose and value of education. When teachers were asked about how

the tests affects their instruction, they emphasized that test procedures play very little role in how

they teach their kids, but they may hold different expectations for those in higher and lower

tracks.

The unsaid bias between tracks has proven to have consequences: students’ test scores in

lower track courses do a worse job at predicting college performance than their peers placed on

the higher track, and they emphasize more on the letter grade than mastering course material.

Teachers who instruct honors students feel like they can let their students be the guide and go in

depth with material while with their regular kids they have to lecture and lead more. This study

shows that honors adolescents have higher grades in high school and scores on standardized tests

will do well in college while those in less rigorous tracks should shoot for better overall grades

for achievement in college. Giersch ends with the conclusion that “Standardized tests are too

narrow a measure for capturing the broad range of goals that schools pursue.”

Conclusion

Academic tracking was created to help educators specialize in content for a particular

group of children so they could learn best. However, this system of learning has become more

constrained than loose in the past few decades. Students have not been given the chance to

decide what track they want to follow; instead, it is decided on by predetermined factors and

schools fear to challenge themselves to give all students the same opportunities. If we don’t grow

out of this pattern, students who takes regular courses might feel as if their education isn’t as
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important as honors or AP students. While educational professionals are agreeing this

segregation is an issue, the methods in solving it are few and far between. There is not a

universal solution as every classroom and school is different, but an effort to equalize the

preparation for life after K-12 and elimination of stereotypes and preconceived notions can be

made instantly.
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Works Cited

Barshay, Jill. “Schools Exacerbate the Growing Achievement Gap between Rich and Poor, a

33-Country Study Finds.” ​The Hechinger Report,​ 24 June 2019,

https://hechingerreport.org/schools-exacerbate-the-growing-achievement-gap-between-ric

h-and-poor-a-33-country-study-finds/. Accessed 31 Oct. 2019

—-. “When Academic Tracking Benefits Students.” ​The Atlantic,​ Atlantic Media Company,

26 Apr. 2016,

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/03/the-upside-of-tracking/475956/.

Accessed 3 Nov. 2019

“Education and Socioeconomic Status.” ​American Psychological Association,​ American

Psychological Association, https://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/education.

Accessed 31 Oct. 2019

Fisher, Kim W., and Karrie Shogren. “The Influence of Academic Tracking on Adolescent

Social Networks.” ​Remedial and Special Education​, Hammill Institute on Disabilities, vol.

37, no. 2, pp. 89-100, 4 Dec. 2015,

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0741932515616758. Accessed 6 Oct. 2019

Giersch, Jason. “Academic Tracking, High-Stakes Tests, and Preparing Students for College:

How Inequality Persists Within Schools.” ​Educational Policy,​ SAGE Journals, vol. 32, pp.
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907-935, 1 Dec. 2016, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0895904816681526.

Accessed 3 Nov. 2019

Pirtle, Whitney. “The Other Segregation.” ​The Atlantic,​ Atlantic Media Company, 23 Apr.

2019,

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/04/gifted-and-talented-programs-sepa

rate-students-race/587614/. Accessed 2 Nov. 2019

Potter, Halley. “Integrating Classrooms and Reducing Academic Tracking.” ​The Century

Foundation,​ 10 May 2019,

https://tcf.org/content/report/integrating-classrooms-reducing-academic-tracking-strategies

-school-leaders-educators/?agreed=1. Accessed 2 Nov. 2019

“Research Spotlight on Academic Ability Grouping.” ​NEA​,

http://www.nea.org/tools/16899.htm. Accessed 31 Oct. 2019

Strauss, Valerie. “Why Grouping Students by Ability Makes Sense.” ​The Washington Post​,

WP Company, 7 June 2013,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2013/06/07/why-grouping-stude

nts-by-ability-makes-sense/?arc404=true. Accessed 3 Nov. 2019