The Issue

Within-class ability-based grouping is used by most general education teachers nearly every day in elementary schools around the USA.  Many educators choose to use this type of grouping for some or all subjects because they feel that individual students’ academic needs will be better met.  In many mixed-race classrooms, ability-based grouping often results in having lower level groups consist primarily of students of color, while the higher level groups consist primarily of white students.  These types of groups create racially segregated classrooms and actually increase the achievement gap, often promoting racial stereotypes, poor self-concepts among lower-ranked groups, academic achievement only for high-ranked groups, and limited positive cross-racial interactions between children.

This weblog explores this issue and understands that ability grouping need not be viewed on the binary of either "help the slower children and ignore the faster ones" or "challenge the faster ones and leave the slower ones behind".  The weblog instead explores ways of diminishing the harmful effects of ability grouping while still helping all students achieve their academic and social potential.

Questions Explored

• What is within-class ability-based grouping?  Why and how is it used?  How has the use of ability grouping changed over time?
• What are the benefits of ability grouping?
• What are the harmful/unintended effects of ability grouping? How do these promote racial inequity and racism?
• Are the effects of ability grouping the same for low, middle, and high-leveled groups?  What about for different racial groups?
• What can be or is being done to prevent possible harmful effects and racial inequities associated with ability-based grouping?

What you will Find on This Weblog...

The above questions are answered primarily on the Unintended Consequences page through research from scholarly journals and professional literature that reflects multiple perspectives.  A historical background on ability-grouping is given on the Historical Context page and an overview of what ability-grouping is and its intended benefits is given on the What is Ability Grouping page.  Websites, news reports, and other media are included on the What is Being Said and Heard page to show how this controversial issue is viewed by society, organizations, individuals, etc.  The What is Being Done page lists a few organizations and individuals that are working on the issue.  Recommendations are given on the What Teachers Can Do page for grouping strategies that promote optimal achievement, relationships, and equity for all children.  My personal thoughts and reflections on the issue are included on the What Teachers Can Do page as well as throughout the weblog.  Lastly, resources and references are provided for further exploration of the issue, particularly for elementary educators.