ABSTRACT
Tracking and segregation are among the most contentious issues in American education. They reflect long-standing fears about racial mixing, and the deepest and most overt forms of racism. The prevalence of tracking and segregation, re-tracking and re-segregation raises the question of whether there is something inherent in schools leading to so much inequitable grouping. This chapter reviews many types of tracking and segregation, and clarifies that these practices are much more widespread than many people think. It considers the racial forms that tracking takes and their consequences for race relations in schools, often a reflection of larger social outcomes among groups. The writing about tracking, some of which is cited under "Selected Readings," does not often incorporate material on racial desegregation and segregation. In middle schools and sometimes in elementary schools, tracking is usually based on "ability," or prior performance, including test scores and teacher recommendations.
