Monday, November 2, 2009

Racial Discrimination and Tracking

There was an interesting story on NPR the other day on how tracking plays out in one middle class community.

Here's the link, and I suggest you listen to the story rather than simply read it.

My friend in Pittsburgh described to me his daughter's high school. It's an "urban" school, and it has metal detectors and the kinds of rules you primarily find in large urban schools. However, the neighborhood they live in is a middle class neighborhood, and in an effort to keep the middle class in the city, and in the school system, this is what tracking looks like in her school.

Four levels.
The top level has an average of 18 kids in each class.
The second level has closer to 22-25 kids in each class.
The third tier has close to 30 kids in each class.
The lowest tier? Over 30 kids in each class.

Guess which classes have the most white kids?
Guess which classes have the most middle and upper middle class kids?

And who, he asked me, needs the small class size?

Summary: Tracking is great for the kids at the top.
For everyone else, it's not so hotsy-totsy, and it's not so ai-yai-yai.

1 comment:

  1. I liked the article you linked to. It didn't offer a pat solution, but it did give a good description of the complexities of the problem.

    "For the past 20 years, proposals to get rid of levels at the school have been defeated by the well-organized parents of highest-performing students. They tend to be affluent and white, and they fear their kids will be slowed down by mixed-ability classes."

    I hear these arguments from parents a lot. My high-achieving kids don't complain much, but, when prompted, will tell about the behavior problems that occur in a "blended" class when the subject matter exceeds the abilities of the less-prepared students. Those kids get lost and bored, and their behavior reflects that. Then there are the kids who get frustrated by the teach-repeat-repeat method that occurs when the teacher tries to reach all of the kids. Teachers need to learn methods of differentiating instruction, so that there is something for everyone.

    That said, I do think that higher expectations will lead to higher achievement, and I want all kids to be challenged. But, I don't want unprepared kids thrown into an AP class just to prove a point.

    Schools should not give up on this. Keep trying, keep tweaking, and get those well-organized parents on board.