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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 423
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 423 |
What it amounts to is being politically correct vs. being best practice. The two often collide.
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,453
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,453 |
In my opinion - and I do not expect everyone to agree with it:-
Not to differentiate is actually the worst thing to do.
This is something that ought to be obvious to anyone that thinks about this for more than a couple of nanoseconds - pre the lobotomy that is usually applied in US colleges in the name of 'Political Correctness' at least.
People with the ecomonic and political means to opt out into better schools that do differentiate will - leaving the underprivileged to fall deeper into the mire.
Iron sharpens iron...
Become what you are
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,035
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Joined: Dec 2012
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I am not in the US - our schools use a spread them out and then have groups within the class at least for the early years. It just seems to make so much work with a wide range of skills in the class. Also when there are 24 kids in the class who have had between 4 and 22 months schooling I find it highly improbable that they fall neatly into 4 or 5 reading levels so some kids must be in groups above or below their ideal level.
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 423
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 423 |
I am not in the US - our schools use a spread them out and then have groups within the class at least for the early years. It just seems to make so much work with a wide range of skills in the class. Also when there are 24 kids in the class who have had between 4 and 22 months schooling I find it highly improbable that they fall neatly into 4 or 5 reading levels so some kids must be in groups above or below their ideal level. They usually don't fall neatly into a few reading / math / science levels, you're correct. It takes a master teacher to be able to differentiate effectively with such a wide range of students, however, master teachers aren't the ones being hired, they're too expensive for the public school's budget, they're hiring the teacher with the min. qualifications that is the cheapest....and in many states all learning abilities must be mixed into the normal class room.
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,432
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I am grateful that my children's school has consistently used tracking starting in 1st grade even though the district GT curriculum does not start until 3rd grade. There is some shuffling between 1st and 3rd grade but the majority of kids have been together in the same class since 1st grade. It is simple to implement and beneficial to the kids in the top 15% or so.
I think that intra-class grouping is much trickier to implement and I have only seen it done well back when I was in elementary school and tracking didn't start until 7th grade.
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,640
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,640 |
http://www.theatlantic.com/national...-to-grouping-students-by-ability/274362/Let's Go Back to Grouping Students by Ability Since the late 1960s, well-meaning educators have shied away from placing kids in "faster" and "slower" classes. Now that trend is reversing—and for good reason. BARRY GARELICK The Atlantic MAR 26 2013, 10:20 AM ET
"To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle." - George Orwell
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 690
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Posts: 690 |
I'm curious...where is your school located?
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,640
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Joined: Feb 2010
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This essay explains why some educational policy-makers and researchers are opposed to ability grouping. The comments at the site by Sherrie273, Django, and Brianna are much more persuasive to me. http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2013/05/michelle_newsum_tracking_our_w.htmlMichelle Newsum: Tracking Our Way to Wider Achievement Gaps Education Week May 29, 2013 The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) supports the instruction of students within heterogeneous classrooms that recognize and accommodate individual student differences in learning style, ability, and interests. NASP opposes the use of tracking because of its demonstrated negative effect for many students.
Research has demonstrated that the use of whole class ability grouping disproportionately impacts minority students, economically disadvantaged students, and students with lower ability. Related to individuals identified with educational disabilities, whole class ability grouping does not comply with the requirements of placement within the least restrictive educational (LRE) environment. Further, the practice of whole class ability grouping/tracking can deny many children of their statutory right to equal educational opportunity. Demonstrated best educational practice can lead to the establishment of excellence for all learners without resorting to the use of ability grouping. Such positive educational practices supported in the research and literature include:
Cooperative learning, differentiated instruction, small group instruction, curriculum modifications, scaffolding, essential understandings, structure of disciplines, learning communities and flexible grouping.
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,007
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Our band and orchestra performances routinely list the names of the kids in order of ability, starting in elementary. The better you are, the higher up your name. They also sit according to ability. The better are in front. The back row is not where you want to be. No, I specifically wanted to be in the back row in Orchestra. I mean, if you wanted to be better, you had to practice. And practicing an instrument is boring beyond words.
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 353
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Posts: 353 |
They also sit according to ability. The better are in front. The back row is not where you want to be. I think it's tremendously motivating to all levels of players, but I wonder how it has been allowed to persist in this climate of equal opportunity. Actually my third-grade math class worked this way--but that was over 40 years ago. I did find it motivating and I think other students who were usually in the top ~fourth or third of the class did too, but I do wonder what effect it had on the students near the bottom. It was not a 'tracked' or accelerated class, so students of all abilities were in there together. That was the only class and the only year I ever saw that kind of arrangement.
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