Below I quote some conclusions from a new study on "skill-based sorting". Heterogenous grouping does not solve the problem revealed by tracking -- that some students do much better than others -- but it does mask the problem for a while (all parents can be told that their children are taking a college prep curriculum), at considerable cost to the best students.
http://ccsr.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Sorting%20Brief_0.pdfSkill-Based Sorting in the Era of College Prep for All:
Costs and Benefits
University of Chicago
March 2014
Average test scores are higher when classes
are sorted by skills due to large benefits for
high-skilled students’ learning gains.
Skill-based sorting has different effects on
grades and pass rates than on test scores.
No Long-Term Benefits from Requiring
College-Prep Coursework for All
When classes are sorted by skill level,
low-skilled students are at higher risk
of being in disruptive classrooms.
Students with weak skills relative to classroom
peers need close monitoring and extra support.
Schools should anticipate behavioral problems
in classrooms with low-skilled students and
provide sufficient support to teachers.
Schools should anticipate behavioral problems
in classrooms with low-skilled students and
provide sufficient support to teachers.
