Creating Homogeneous Ability Grouping

In the case study with Principal Miller, he had to make a decision to change the instruction program or to keep it. There was a group of parents that wanted students grouped by their ability. The other group of parents wanted the instruction to stay the same. Principal Miller

In my classroom at the school our tables are set up into groups of academic abilities we have higher table who work on their own and have harder work to complete. Then we have middle table who have easier work than the higher table, and then we have lower table who have the easy work to help them understand. Some children in the classroom require 1-1 help so the teacher has set these

Although in the past the biggest cause for unequal opportunities in education has been the gap between different races, recently the gap between income percentiles has affected students substantially. Students go to schools in districts that correlate to the income percentile they are in. Because of this, many students in high-poverty neighborhoods are not given the same amount of time and money as students in upper-class neighborhoods are (Cordes and Miller). This can be seen in a study, conducted in

In order to understand why students from lower income families struggle, it would be important to begin at the beginning. Low birth weight affects a child’s cognitive development and is something that is predominant in minority families. This could stem from a lack of prenatal care, poor nutrition, or possible substance abuse. Whatever the cause, low birth weight affects student achievement. Lead poisoning is also a

A fifth grader may come in at a “second-grade level” and graduate at a “fourth-grade level,” which is a tremendous achievement on the part of the educators; however, because standardized testing fails to account for such circumstances, the entire year would be seen as a failure from the perspective of the state (Berger). To put it crudely, “poor schools can’t win at standardized testing” because students in areas of poverty start school academically behind and are unable to catch up as there is the lack of resources and funding (Broussard). On the other extreme, gifted students are also hurt by attempts to standardize education, for instance, with the No Child Left Behind Act, an act that many say has “failed our adolescents” (Steinberg). Teachers say that the legislation has resulted in a “race to the middle” that means “talented students have their potential squandered” as schools “[don’t] foster growth” (Weller). In effect, standardization attempts to remove individuality from learning and ignores that students have different capacities for learning, that some students may need more help while others need to be challenged above their grade level - instead it averages it all out to a “standard” that harms both

While America’s educational community is emerged in discussing the No Child Left Behind Act, high stakes testing, and what these new versions of old ideas actually mean for the larger society, the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) 2005 report shows that African-American males continue to spiral further down the achievement ladder. They are not thriving or surviving in many school settings. They have been flagged by Statistics as the highest rank among students who choose to leave school; are suspended, expelled, or kicked out of school. Unfortunately, the same is also true when it comes to poor test scores, low GPAs and high rates of referral and placement in special education. In stark contrast, African-American males are underrepresented in gifted education (NCES, 2005; Whiting, 2004; as cited in (Whiting, 2006, p. 222).

The stereotype threats that these minorities, including women, black and other minority indigenous groups, face diminish the level of achievement the students can obtain. For example, Gordon and Bridgall examine the challenges students of color must manage while in school (Gordon et al, 122). While in environments dominated by ethnically white individuals, students of color seem to receive a lower quality of education because of academic isolation and expectations originating from their stereotype threat. Rather then studying with others, students of color would study alone, losing the chance to gain insight or different perspectives from other students. Then the students of color would fall victim to poor expectations deriving from anxiety, such as fear of disapproval, negative environments, and limited access to academic models (Gordon et al, 126). Eric Wargo touches on socioeconomic status and how it challenges giftedness, specifically in intelligence and IQ scores. He examines the differences in IQ scores and explains that the disparity comes from the wide gap in socioeconomic status, or SES, which leads to to different bringing up of children. While families in a high SES have educated conversations with their children, lower SES families may only yell and curse to their children. Other differences include

While visiting Pleasant Lea Middle School, I have observed that students in 7th and 8th grade classes demonstrate a wide range of intellectual abilities. For example, in 7th grade math class there are students who are above their grade level in math, while there are others who are way below. There was one student who could not recognize that number 2 is smaller than number 10. Most of the students in class are on grade level, but there are a few who are way above. The teacher makes accommodations in class to meet the intellectual abilities of all students. Before the class starts a new unit, all students take a quiz. If they score 4/4 on any section, those students are not required to participate in

American students, especially African- and Latin-Americans are performing poorly on international assessments such as the PISA. On the 2012 PISA math and science scores remained below average (496) for African-Americans scoring 421 in math and 439-science and Latin-Americans 455 in math and 462 in science (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012). The educational disparities is exacerbated by the low high-school graduation rates and college attendance by minorities. Part of the problem can be attributed to the disproportionately high number of minority students in remedial classes and lack of diversity in gifted education programs. Several factors contribute to a disproportionate number of minority students being placed in special education. Poverty perpetuate problems ranging from premature births to impoverished neighborhoods. Insufficient funding, inadequate resources, and poor curriculum impedes a constructive learning environment (Artiles, Harry, Reschly, & Chinn, 2002). Also the lack of cultural cohesion between teachers and students may result in students of color placed in special education programs (Bailey, 2012). In addition, some assessments used for placement may be culturally bias (Artiles, Harry, Reschly, & Chinn, 2002) and students possibly lack suitable instruction before being placed in remedial education. Students in impoverished neighborhoods receive considerably less state and local funding, the lack of resources increase the probability of being

59. Data about Brown Middle School shows that 99% of the students enrolled are African American. African American and poor children continue to achieve below grade level and drop out in much greater numbers (Nieto, 2004, p. 48). One example is that Black students are underrepresented in programs for the gifted and talented, being only half as likely to be placed in these programs as are White students, even though they may be equally gifted (Nieto, 2004, p. 59). Studies have linked participation in advanced placement, gifted and talented programs, and advanced math and sciences classes with better outcomes later in life. Brown Middle School’s enrollment rate for the gifted and talented is 14 percent. These factors can be another factor in the low-test scores at Brown Middle School. Many studies also show that rigid tracking is prominent in poor communities with large numbers of African American, Latino and American Indian students (Nieto, 2004, p.

Often a specific area speaks volumes about a community, and there is a correlation present between whether the school consists of students who strive for academics or not. If an individual purchases a dwelling in a low income area, often children within that community are more focused on the environment around them rather than school. This means that the child will lack in demonstrating their full potential, as external factors such as gangs and substance abuse can be a threat to development. This is often due to the cycle of poverty, which can only be broken if the individual is educated enough to move forward with a job, help with finances and etc., Discrimination be also be an effect on the development as depending on negative stereotypes such as an individual of Asian descent do well in mathematics, there might be expectations that are not met, which later impacts the individuals self-worth. It would be of benefit if the author had included further research if there is an exact link to standardized test scores and low income areas. The author could have used the Fraser mustard report, which states that early childhood experiences have a powerful effect on development of children’s physical, emotional abilities, and influence intellectual development. A child’s living environment may expose them to poverty, thus causing malnourishment. Emotional damage can be caused by having a low sense of self-worth if they believe their family cannot break the cycle they are living in, and be in constant state of stress affecting their focus in school. Thus, standardized testing can be useful to assess if an area may or may not be suitable for the well-being of a child’s

An additional life changing experience such as a school transition can cause more distress in the students’ lives (Blythe et al., 1983; Gonzales et al., 2004). Low income underrepresented students are two times as likely in reading, and three times in mathematics, to underachieve when compared to their wealthier peers (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2005). Researchers have shown that these students’ academic achievement in reading and mathematics declined after transitioning to middle school (Alspaugh & Harting, 1995; Midgley et al., 2002). Ultimately, transitioning from elementary to middle school can result in negative academic and societal outcomes for low income disadvantaged students during and beyond middle school if

In the classroom, the teacher’s greatest challenge is to instill hope and appreciation. If a sense of hope can be brought into these students’ lives, and a plan for the future developed, an at-risk student may be able to find the motivation to succeed in school and work to better their prospects for a better life. Schools have used labels to define and control minority groups to target these at-risks students. Students are grouped in several groups. Schools create labels to define students based on categories of race, social class,

Everyone knows about the various stereotypes and social stigmas that come with socioeconomic status whether they will choose to admit it or not. Society has come to assume that a child who comes from a family of low socioeconomic status, that they will not do as well as a child who comes from a family of a greater socioeconomic status. Unfortunately these assumptions are so ingrained in our brains that we start to follow the self-fulfilling prophecy. When a child from a noticeably low socioeconomic status walks into a classroom, it is not uncommon for the teacher to automatically assume that the child will not perform well in class, and in turn either grades the child more harshly or does not give the child as much attention as the

A typical classroom in an American public school holds a group of students with a myriad of diverse learning needs. Each class is likely to consist of some visual learners, some auditory learners, and some hands-on learners. Some students may work best in groups, while others work best independently. Some students may do well with mathematics and logic but poorly with visual-spatial skills, or any combination of the multiple intelligences. It seems to be common knowledge among teachers that these needs must be met, and in turn teachers write and teach a wide variety of lessons to accommodate all of their students, and there are a wide variety of resources available to teachers to help them do so. It is important to note, however, that