Introduction
WHAT IS TRACKING?
Tracking is an instructional practice that involves dividing students
into classes according to ability level. Tracking is used because the practice is
believed to allow teachers to better meet the needs of students. The practice of
grouping students according to ability levels has a long history in the United States,
dating back to the late eighteenth century. For the first quarter of the twentieth
century tracking was widely used throughout the country. Tracking lost favor in the
progressive education movement of the 1930’s, regained it with the Soviet launch
of Sputnik in 1957 (Persell, 1977), lost it again during
the civil rights movement of the 1960’s and came back again with the back to basics
movement of the early 1980’s. But since the late 1980’s the practice of tracking
has come under fire once again. In July, 1990 the National Education Association
(http://www.nea.org/) issued a report that called
for the end of tracking. This report cited three major findings: "(i) grouping
students tends to lump minorities into classes and keeps them from realizing their
potential; (ii) grouping on the primary and secondary level is very difficult to
break out of; and (iii) grouping creates racially identifiable classes." Likewise,
the National Governors Association’s Educational Task Force called for an end to
tracking in July of 1990. Since the release of these findings many states have mandated
that schools eliminate most forms of tracking. As part of this movement, the New
York State Board of Regents is currently eliminating tracking in most subjects. Clearly
this decision will have a major impact on education systems throughout the nation.
Tracking will continue to be a controversial issue in American education for years
to come.