"Ability grouping is the educational practice of grouping students by potential or past achievement for a relevant activity."
The practice of separating students into different classes or groups based on perceived ability, which can perpetuate inequality in education and limit opportunities for certain students.
Education Sociology: Education Sociology involves the study of how social factors such as class, race, and gender influence the educational system and its impact on students' experiences and outcomes.
Tracking: Tracking refers to the educational practice of dividing students into different groups based on their perceived abilities or academic achievements.
Ability Grouping: Ability grouping is a practice in education where students with similar academic abilities are placed in separate classes or groups for instruction.
Gifted and Talented Education: Gifted and Talented Education refers to a specialized educational program that aims to provide enrichment and acceleration opportunities for students who demonstrate exceptional abilities, skills, or talents.
Inequality of Educational Opportunity: Inequality of Educational Opportunity refers to the unequal distribution of educational resources, opportunities, and outcomes among students, often influenced by factors such as socioeconomic status, race, and tracking systems.
Standardized Testing: Standardized testing refers to the assessment method that measures an individual's knowledge and skills using uniform test formats and scoring criteria.
Student Achievement: Student Achievement in the context of Sociology and Tracking and ability grouping refers to the measurable outcomes and academic success of students across various educational systems and settings.
Equity and Diversity in Education: Equity and Diversity in Education refers to ensuring fair access, treatment, and opportunities for all students regardless of their diverse backgrounds and needs.
Curriculum and Instruction: Curriculum and instruction refers to the design and implementation of educational content and teaching methods used to facilitate student learning and development.
Teacher Education and Professional Development: Teacher Education and Professional Development in the context of Sociology and Tracking and ability grouping refers to the training and ongoing support provided to educators to improve their teaching methods and abilities in order to address the potential impacts of tracking and ability grouping on student outcomes and educational equity.
Full tracking: This is where students are placed in different tracks or classes throughout their entire education based on their academic performance.
Partial tracking: This is where students are only placed in different tracks or classes for certain subjects or time periods, such as math or reading classes.
Ability grouping: This is where students are grouped within a class based on their ability level in a particular subject.
Homogeneous grouping: This is where students are grouped together based on similar abilities or performance levels in a subject or subjects.
Heterogeneous grouping: This is where students are grouped together despite differences in academic abilities or performance levels.
Mixed ability grouping: This is where students of different abilities or performance levels are mixed together in a class or group, with each student receiving different levels of feedback and support.
Cluster grouping: This is where groups of high-ability students are placed together in the same classroom, with the intention of providing more advanced instruction and challenging opportunities.
Tracking by race/ethnicity: This is where students are tracked into different classes or groups based on their race or ethnicity, often resulting in unequal opportunities and access to resources.
Tracking by gender: This is where students are tracked into different classes or groups based on their gender, often perpetuating gender stereotypes and limiting opportunities.
Flexible grouping: This is where students are placed in different groups based on their learning needs, interests, or skills in a particular subject, with the goal of providing more personalized and effective instruction.
Multi-age grouping: This is where students of different ages are grouped together in the same classroom or learning environment, with the intention of promoting peer learning and collaboration.
Multi-level grouping: This is where students of different abilities or performance levels are grouped together based on their potential to learn and grow together.
Open classrooms: This is where students are not grouped into traditional classes or groups, but rather have more freedom to move and learn based on their own interests and abilities.
Ability tracking with opportunities for movement: This is where students are initially placed into different tracks or classes based on their abilities, but are given opportunities to move between tracks or classes based on their performance and growth over time.
Flexible pacing: This is where students are allowed to work at their own pace, with the ability to move ahead or receive additional support as needed, regardless of their initial placement or grouping.
"Ability groups are usually small, informal groups formed within a single classroom."
"It differs from tracking by being less pervasive, involving much smaller groups, and by being more flexible and informal."
"Ability groups allow the teacher to target review, direct instruction, and advanced work to the needs of a small group, rather than attempting to meet the divergent needs of the entire class simultaneously."
"Assignment to an ability group is often short-term (never lasting longer than one school year), and varies by subject."
"Assignment to an ability group is made by (and can be changed at any time by) the individual teacher."
"Assignment to an ability group is usually not recorded in student records."
"A teacher may divide a typical mixed-ability classroom into three groups for a mathematics lesson: those who need to review basic facts before proceeding with today's lesson, those who are ready to learn new material, and those who need a challenging assignment."
"Such grouping may be very fluid and temporary, such as when elementary reading teachers place children into small reading groups whose members may change several times throughout the school year."
"Ability groups allow the teacher to target review, direct instruction, and advanced work to the needs of a small group."
"Ability groups allow the teacher to meet the divergent needs of the entire class simultaneously."
"Ability groups differ from whole-class, mixed-ability instruction in that they target specific needs of certain students."
"The teacher may assign students to different groups for the next lesson."
"Elementary reading teachers place children into small reading groups whose members may change several times throughout the school year."
"The three potential ability groups in a mathematics lesson are those who need to review basic facts, those who are ready to learn new material, and those who need a challenging assignment."
"Ability grouping is more flexible and informal compared to tracking."
"Ability groups allow the teacher to target review, direct instruction, and advanced work to the needs of a small group."
"Assignment to an ability group is often short-term and varies by subject."
"Assignment to an ability group can be changed at any time by the individual teacher."
"The main focus of ability groups is to meet the needs of a small group instead of the entire class simultaneously."