This article addresses six myths often used to oppose ability grouping of gifted students. Ten Tentative Truths. From Tracking to Untracking in the Middle Grades. Discusses components of untracking, student and teacher responses, and tracking as a public policy issue. The Variable Effects of High School Tracking.
Schools vary significantly in the magnitude of track effects on mathematics and verbal achievement.
Catholic schools' tracking structures are effective. Reviews recent research on student achievement, self-concept, and curriculum and instruction showing the ineffectiveness of tracking and ability grouping. Certain court rulings show that tracking violates the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Innovative alternatives include cooperative learning, mastery learning, peer tutoring, accelerated learning, and computer-aided instruction. The Effects of Educational Tracking on the Social Mobility of African Americans.