Homework 42

I think the concept of tracking classes is a healthy one; but it's important to know where to draw the line. Being in a tracked class, I can attest to the power of assembling students who are close in academic range to one another. I would put myself in the 50th percentile amongst my classmates, so being behind some, but ahead of some as well. When grouped with people who can understand the material when I myself may not necessarily grasp it completely, I feel myself encouraged to work harder to get a better grasp on the material. However, I feel that to mix classes too largely would throw off the balance; there would be a certain rift in the formula, with some students so far behind they give up, disheartened by the 'smarter' students, and at the same time, the 'smart' kids are so far ahead they aren't feeling challenged enough. I feel that tracking works best by isolating the highest percentile and grouping them together, with a max of a 10% difference. By this I mean grouping children from between the 99th percentile to the 89th percentile, and so on, and so on. By maintaining classes with students withing reachable intellectual range of one another, growth is not only encouraged by teachers, but truthfully sought after by the students themselves. Tell a smart kid that they aren't quite as smart as their peer, and they will strive until they feel that it is no longer the case. Same goes for any kid who is in the same grouping.