According to Maine Educational Assessment data, there is a significant gap in learning between those students who pursue a rigorous academic course of study and those who take less challenging courses The social fabric of America has changed significantly. Depending upon one's socio- economic status, there is a significant gap in the resources available at home for students to do the rigorous work schools require. To meet the needs of all students, and to ensure that students from all walks of life are able to learn in school, the structure of the school and its instructional strategies, needs to change. In most Maine secondary schools, there is specialized programming for the gifted, the vocational students, and the special education population.
Most secondary schools are unequal by design.
By design our students do not have equitable access to knowledge or to the same resources within the same school. Our Maine and national challenge is to abolish the traditional system of tracking and require all students to pursue a rigorous program. There is little research to support continuation of grouping practices which sort and isolate learners. The greatest challenge is for every parent, community member, and educator to examine their currently held beliefs about who is capable of learning and to provide the environment necessary to ensure learning for all.