Although a rich tradition of mainly U.S. and U.K. research focuses on the nature and effects of tracking students within schools, little research has investigated the importance of tracking students in the same or in separate schools. The authors used data from a unique, representative survey in Flanders (Belgium) to examine how students' study…

The use of ability grouping restricts students to interact with others who have been identified as similar in ability and carries with it the stigma of failure and the operation of the self-fulfilling prophecy. (Author)

Describes the development of an instrument to measure student attitudes towards a tracking system. (CK)

The attitudes, feelings, and self-concept of 30 sixth-grade children from high reading groups and 30 from low reading groups as related to ability grouping in the teaching of reading were examined in this study. The Piers-Harris Children's Self Concept Scale, the San Diego County Inventory of Reading Attitude, and an interview schedule developed…

This paper addresses common concerns of parents about the social development of gifted children. It stresses the importance of three key factors: (1) a responsive home environment where the child is respected; (2) opportunities to relate to other gifted children, especially during the early years, when self-concept is formed; and (3) opportunities…

A comparison of the self concepts and school attitudes of third grade low achievers in homogeneously versus heterogeneously grouped classrooms is made in this study. An extensive review of the literature on ability grouping, self concept (and self concept tests), and school attitudes related to grouping is presented. In the study, low achievers…

The Alaska School Effectiveness Project produced several reports in a series of reviews of research literature on such topics as instructional grouping: ability grouping. Using an ERIC search and conventional library methods, the question raised was "Do students in the aggregate perform equally well academically and have comparable attitude…

Ability grouping, defined as "the practice of organizing classroom groups in a graded school to put together children of a given age and grade who have most nearly the same standing on measures or judgments of learning achievement or capability," is considered in terms of its effect upon students' academic achievement and affective development. It…

The question examined extensively in this document is why socioeconomic status and race are related to academic achievement. While most explanations look to the cognitive or cultural deficiencies of lower class and minority students, this volume considers an alternative explanation. Prevailing definitions of academic achievement undoubtedly…