Presents (in narrative form) selected findings from a study in south Georgia schools on ability grouping and alternative structures, from the viewpoints of a child, teachers, and administrators. Concludes that program improvement can be realized when teachers participate in decisions affecting their work and have continuous administrative support.…

According to Scott, educators have uncritically accepted tracking as harmful, although little empirical proof has been presented. Jennie Oakes retorts that research evidence on untracking abounds. Anne Wheelock insists that students learn more with untracking. Barbara N. Pavan cites research on effective schools and nongraded schools showing that…

Before beginning an experiment to eliminate tracking, one New York State high school had a five-level system that segregated the bottom 10% of students, along with academically able but difficult-to-manage youngsters, into low-ability classes. After detracking, some kids once tagged as slow learners began earning above-average grades; several also…

Suggests that the trend toward detracking and inclusion in schools is socio-politically motivated. Rebuts arguments that tracking is racist and damages self-esteem and identifies harmful effects of heterogeneous grouping. Concludes that tracking and ability grouping have a place in education. (SK)

Investigates the effects of an instructional intervention derived from the Garofalo and Lester cognitive-metacognitive framework on the problem-solving performance of year six students with different ability levels. Concludes that there was significant improvement in problem-solving performance for the experimental class compared to the control…

Offers four responses from readers of this journal to the question of whether ability grouping in first grade is negative. (SR)

Evaluated the effects on gifted children of participation in homogeneous classes or mixed ability classes with a part-time gifted extension program. Results from 1,020 Israeli gifted intermediate-grade students show more positive personal-social adjustment for those in the mixed ability classes and a more positive view of the school environment…

In experimental time estimation research, it has consistently been found that the more a person is engaged in some kind of demanding cognitive activity within a given period of time, the more experienced duration of this time interval decreases. However, the role of individual differences has been largely ignored in this field of research. In a…

Tracking, the sorting and grouping of students in schools, has been criticized for separating students along race and class lines, re-segregating diverse schools and perpetuating unequal access to a college-bound curriculum. Detracking, a reform in which students are placed intentionally in mixed-ability classes, is an attempt to remedy the…

This study examined how grouping arrangements affect students' achievement, social interaction, and motivation. Students of high, average and low ability were randomly assigned to homogeneous or heterogeneous ability groups. All groups attended the same plant biology course. The main results indicate that low-ability students achieve more and are…

This study examined test-related experiences of enjoyment, anger, anxiety, and boredom in a sample of 2059 German school students (50% female) from grade 6, and how they relate to students' abstract reasoning ability (ARA). Emotions were assessed immediately before, during, and after a mathematics achievement test. Analysis of variance showed that…

Background/Context: This is the first research study to examine the content basis of Payne's in-service teacher education program, A Framework for Understanding Poverty, though others who have reviewed the book have agreed with our analysis. The study took place within a policy context in which the federal government, with the passage of the No…

Ability grouping is sometimes thought to exacerbate inequality by increasing achievement gaps; however, ability grouping may in fact benefit a fast growing and often marginalized student population: children from non-English-speaking home environments. The level-appropriate, small-group instruction received in reading ability groups may be…

Educators increasingly agree that creating more inclusive schools by eliminating rigid ability grouping is important to improving education; this task will take years of study, persuasion, and staff development. This booklet is designed to assist school leaders desiring to study the issue, persuade others of its correctness, and create learning…

Reviews four articles on communicative competence as a goal of study, chosen from 1974-75 issues of four journals. Topics discussed include: Setting goals, ascertaining levels of achievement in communication, possibility of sectioning groups according to ability, and actualizing communicative activity in the classroom. (Text is in German.)…