ABSTRACT
Tracking, almost universal in American schools for the past century, is the practice of sorting students into different programs of study based on their perceived academic ability. The term "tracking" is often used interchangeably with the terms "ability grouping," "homogeneous grouping," and "curriculum differentiation." However, these terms consistently imply some means of grouping students for instruction by ability or achievement so as to create instructional groups that are as homogeneous as possible. In elementary schools, the sorting of students encompasses both "betweenclass" grouping, in which students are assigned to separate classes based on perceived ability, and "withinclass" grouping, in which smaller groups of students at similar performance levels work together in the same classroom. Ability grouping at the elementary level generally leads to tracking at the secondary level. Secondary schools vary in the number, size, and composition of tracks. However, students are generally assigned to a track level: basic, regular, college preparatory, or honors/advanced placement. Some have suggested that in recent years tracking has become more flexible, allowing students to take courses in various tracks (e.g., Hallinan, 1994).
