Talking # 6

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

Premise

• education
• classroom
• privilege
• tracking
• high ability
• low ability
• stereotype
• opportunities

Argument

Oakes argues that "Children who are placed in lower level classrooms; do not have equal opportunity to children that are in a higher level classroom"

Evidence

1. Students who are placed in high-ability groups have access to far richer schooling experiences than other students.
2. No wonder we find "rich get richer and poor get poorer" patterns of outcomes from tracking.
3. The fact that students are tracked seems less important than that they have the other instructional advantages that seem to come along with classes that are highly able.

Comments

I really liked this article; it was easy for me to read. The author did a good job putting her ideas together and clear. I do not agree on labeling kids at all, but I believe if a child needs the help then it should be from someone that knows what they are doing.