Jeannie Oakes- "Tracking: Why School Need to Take Another Route"

From the moment that a student walks into his first day of kindergarten, they are being tracked. Academic ability and discipline becomes a notion of grouping. Teachers group students into reading groups based on how fast and easily they can read a paragraph, thus, they are set aside from their peers. As students move on to middle school, we see a bigger trend in grouping. Students are placed in classes based on their academic performance, specifically their standardized test scores. Those who cannot keep up with the work are placed in remedial classes or held back. The low performing classes are based more on discipline rather than learning and fall behind in comparison to the high performing students. The achievement gap widens and by the time these students are in high school, the school system restricts them from enrolling into honors or AP classes. They settle for the remedial or regular class and become used to the "easy classes". They notice how their teachers do not even believe in them and they grow less interested in the idea of school. This trend was exemplified by the reading "Becoming Something Different" where Esme was placed into regular classes and was never challenged or given the opportunity to grow academically. There seems to a system in place that keeps students in these remedial courses. Instead of gradually developing these students to help them move up to the honors or AP courses, they fall further and further behind each year. They fall so behind that even the students begin to think they are different from the high performing kids. They tend to believe less in themselves and the idea of graduating or becoming successful becomes taboo to them. Their teachers behave more by babysitters and never show any sign of hope in them. The achievement gap is becoming a true problem for schooling and it must be targeted where it is rooted from; Elementary School.

This system of tracking typically benefits the high ability classes. These students spend more time on learning about problem solving skills and critical thinking than about discipline. They also receive the best teachers with the most experience that have worked their way up to their current position, and they typically have a small class-size with a solid parent support group. This tradition of selecting and grouping teachers connects to the video "The Three Other R's: Race, Reform, and Rights" where one of the panelist brought up the topic on the placement of highly qualified teachers. She argues that these teachers should be placed in classrooms where they would be needed and could make a difference in the students' lives. Instead, most low performing classes have teachers with very minimal experience. A negative atmosphere such as the lack of trust or feeling uncomfortable can create distractions in the teacher's lesson plan. Their time is usually wasted on dealing with behavior issues and the students' attitude about school and learning is a reflection on how the teacher views them. While tracking benefits the high ability students, it jeopardizes the learning of those of low ability.

Many of the issues and and topics I have mentioned have greatly connected to the movie we have watched in class, "Freedom Writers". Many of the students have undergone life changing experiences with Ms. Gruwell for her positive attitude and belief in her students. This video is a TedTalk that Erin Gruwell gives on her experience in teaching these 150 students at Wilson High School and she speaks specifically on her most remarkable student Maria Reyes (Eva).

As a future Secondary Mathematics teacher, I feel hindered by these issues and I am wondering about what a high school teacher can do to erase the years of bad teaching. Ms. Gruwell is a perfect example of how all high school teachers should react when faced with these obstacles. She was calm and passionate with her kids. I have heard some astonishing stories from my classmates in their service learning experiences out in the elementary schools. What can you all do as future Elementary school teachers to avoid the growth of the achievement gap? Any stories on your observations in the schools?