Tracking (education)

Students relax in a sunny courtyard outside between classes.
The students attending this school in Germany are part of a heavily tracked school system. Only university-bound students can attend this school. Admission is usually determined by grades, test results, and teacher recommendation after elementary school. There are other, separate schools that teach students business and vocational skills.

Tracking is separating students by academic ability into groups for all subjects[1] or certain classes and curriculum[2] within a school.[1][2] It may be referred to as streaming or phasing in some schools.

In a tracking system, the entire school population is assigned to classes according to whether the students' overall achievement is above average, normal, or below average. Students attend academic classes only with students whose overall academic achievement is the same as their own.

Students with special educational needs may be tracked into a self-contained classroom or a separate special school, rather than being included in a mixed-ability class.

  1. ^ a b Gamoran, Adam (1992). "Is Ability Grouping Equitable?". Educational Leadership. 50 (2).
  2. ^ a b Karen Zittleman; Sadker, David Miller (2006). Teachers, Schools and Society: A Brief Introduction to Education with Bind-in Online Learning Center Card with free Student Reader CD-ROM. McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages. pp. 104, G–12. ISBN 978-0-07-323007-8.