Talking Point 8

Tracking: Why Schools Need to Take Another Route
By Jeannie Oakes

Matthew Sawyer

1) Some link tracking to our national security and economic well being, contending that the top students need special grooming to be leaders in science, government, and business.

2)In many classrooms the evidence of students' capability is a matter of public record.

3)Typically, low-track high school students have been in low-ability groups and remedial programs since elementary school.

With drop out rates being what they are and our country's overall knowledge being far below the rest of the world, it is quite clear that tracking doesn't work. We all are subjects of tracking but rarely recognize it. Do you remember being placed in low-ability or remidial classes? How about being placed in the advanced group? it constantly happens and little do we question its purpose though we must start doing so. Tracking acts as a way for those in power to recognize the "great minds" and separate them from the rest of us in order to further challenge them. These tracking classes do not truly find great thinkers but those who succeeded in wealthy schools with plenty of resources and once again places these students on the fast track to high grades and test scores. Where does this live the rest of the students now? well frankly middle-of-the-road students are given just enough resources to get by and never truly given an opportunity to prove their merrit. a largely ignored population, College Prep. kids are essentially prepared to survive, not excell, but simply survive with a mediocre setting. Low-ability students are the biggest sufferers of this teaching method, as not only are their needs for challenge ignored, they are also destined to continue through the low-ability track for their entire school carreer. Low-ability students needs are essentially ignored as they are believed to be unable or unwilling to learn and thus must be taught how to learn. rather than teaching to a students strengths and using the resources most beneficial to them, low-ability students are taught how they are supposed to learn and how they are supposed to act. Tracking doesnt work to help teach students, it helps to heavily fund those who succeed with extensive resources, ignore those who survive with mediocre resources, and silence those who struggle with little to no resources.