"Tracking: Why Schools Need to Take Another Route"

Talking Points #6
November 6, 2007

“Tracking: Why Schools Need to
Take Another Route”

Premise: tracking, schools, “less able”, high ability, students, fast/slow speed learning, groups, learning, teachers, different, “typical”, criticism/ridicule, low/middle/high class, maintaining control, discipline, comparison, socializing, “unspecial”, belief in ability, curriculum, environment, changes, alternatives

Argument: The author, Jeannie Oakes, says that educators should make a decision of whether to track students in schools. Educators should not choose the tracking system only. She wants schools to take on another route.

My Thoughts: I do not agree with the author. I think that you can still have tracking but for certain things. For example, once in a while let kids come together in groups. This way one is always not alone and can be with other diverse leveled students. This one student could be a “less able” and can maybe learn from a higher ability student. As I am still a student I know that this can be achieved. When I had my last study buddies party, I was studying with different leveled colleagues than I. I did not know if they were “A” students but getting together as a group helped. Oakes says that high ability students have more schooling experience; this is true and is a pro. Oakes also says that you can benefit from these high ability students too. But do we know what a pro with “less able” is? These kids are socializing more and they have more leisure time. They might spend more time working on one project than finishing it right away. These “less able” are disadvantaged and have fewer opportunities than of a higher ability student. In elementary school I can remember that there was a gifted program for students, so these students would not be bored. There was a time when there was not any tracking when my mother went to school and things seemed just fine. Tracking can work both ways here. These students will be labeled all through life as being bright or less of an achiever. This will of course be great for the bright group of people but maybe not for the less fortunate.