Anyhow, all the GT kids were equally distributed into three of the six 5th grade classes, which each have three differentiated "groups." Notwithstanding the "differentiated" instructions my kids supposedly received in their group during a small fraction of class-time, it was obvious to them (or so they volunteered this information to me) that the curriculum and expectations were inferior to prior years.
This is where anti-tracking "research" does real damage. The schools probably believe the "research" that the gifted kids need to be spread around so that they can sprinkle their magic gifted pixie dust on all the less endowed students. But the gifted kids have got better things to do than sitting around being starved of education. They need more advanced instruction, that the average and below average kids cannot benefit from. They need to be in separate classes receiving separate educations.
The anti-tracking advocates have done some very deceptive "research". For example they claim to have "demonstrated" that there is little benefit to ability grouping, and more benefit to mixed ability groups, but their trick is to make this comparison when everyone is forced to do exactly the same on-grade level classes. They conveniently ignore the huge benefit the higher ability students would gain from much higher level classes (and the lower ability students would be better served with lower level classes).
It is easy for us to see through these tricks, but the damage is done anyway, and many school fall for it, and separate the gifted kids, instead of grouping them together and providing advanced instruction. The anti-tracking advocates are relentless in their goal to totally dismantle ability grouping, and they are being very successful at it.
