This essay shows that the adoption of intelligence tests by the schools was a complex development. Tests were adopted during the 1920s as part of the reform program fashioned by the network of applied psychologists and school people. While the network itself often viewed testing as a means to improve the schools and society, immigrants and blacks…

There is a dichotomy of opinion regarding the merits and feasibility of ability grouping, and the issue is unsettled after much research and study. This research summary discusses grouping practices, the place of ability grouping in over-all school organization, schools' capacity for ability grouping, and the pros and cons of ability grouping,…

Twenty teachers of English in Iran Girls' College (Tehran) grouped students homogeneously to attack the problem of overcrowded classes of students with diverse abilities and achievement levels. Hopefully, pupils would identify with their groups and strive competitively for greater proficiency in the English language. School personnel and…

Working on the premise that the homogeneous grouping of students based on student performance, testing, and recommendations can enable students to develop to their fullest potential, this English curriculum guide for grades seven through twelve is arranged to cover high and/or average achieving students and low achieving students. The guide is…

The examination of the use of ability grouping of students begins with presentation of the questionnaire responses from 328 school districts concerning how and how much ability grouping is practiced within their systems, on what basis students are assigned to groups, and how many poor or non-white students are involved. Following is a summary of…

Examines the relationship between ability-grouping policies in British secondary schools and (1) pupils' reading and mathematics attainment at age 16 and (2) prospective public examinations entries. No significant relationship was found between ability-grouping policy and scores, but there was an indication that mixed-ability schools enter their…

This article examines the practice of academic tracking--how it operates and how it is perceived in a school. An attempt is made to detail how the stigma generated by low track placement is managed by students. (Author/EB)

Desegregated schools often become resegregated by placing minority students in low ability groups and special education programs. Individualizing instruction for black children, understanding their culture, and encouraging mastery learning are ways of avoiding this damaging situation. (JD)

The author, Principal Research Officer of the current NFER Mixed Ability Teaching Project, tries here unravel some of the complex questions of ideology, organization and evaluation which have been overlooked in the current debate, highlighted by recent critical statements from the Inspectorate, over mixed-ability grouping in comprehensive schools.…

Examines the effect of within-class and between-class ability groupings on the academic achievement of gifted elementary and secondary level students. Results showed that gifted students gained more academically than they would have if they had been taught in heterogeneous classes. (PS)

In an introductory psychology statistics course that required students to work in small groups, it was found that letting students select their own groups worked well. There were no differences in success between the groups that could be classified as mixed-ability and those that were homogeneous. (RM)

Describes the scope and content of a book that examines the teaching of science to mixed ability classes and notes the availability of a bibliography on the same subject. (GS)

This author explores what he calls the mindlessness of ability grouping and explains why it has become a fact of life in most school systems. (Editor)

One of the most persistent challenges facing schools is how to respond to diversity as reflected in student race, gender, ethnicity, language, social class, and ability. This paper presents findings of a study that investigated how eight elementary schools undergoing restructuring responded academically to student diversity and how a school's…

Improvement of academic achievement requires both changes in school organizational structures and in curriculum and instruction. This study investigates the assumption of giving "minds-on" opportunities to reflect and "hands-on" opportunities to experiment and tests whether moving beyond the textbook makes science class more engaging for middle…