This paper reports on an exploratory study of the mathematical beliefs of a group of ninth and tenth grade students at a large, college preparatory, private school in the Southeastern United States. These beliefs were revealed using contemporary metaphor theory. A thematic analysis of the students' metaphors for mathematics indicated that students…

School systems worldwide respond in particular ways to students' academic heterogeneity, and different countries have developed different strategies to manage such heterogeneity. Whereas some countries separate children according to distinctive educational routes (or tracks) at early ages, others rely on intensive use of grade retention, while…

The U.S. District of Columbia's Federal Circuit Court decision in "Hobson v. Hanson" (1967) case eliminated racial discriminatory tracking practices in the nation's capitol's public schools. The court ruled that D.C. Public Schools' tracking violated African American and low income students' rights to equal opportunities to education…

Detracking has been described as an equity minded reform that attempts to level the playing field among students of different socio-economic, racial, and linguistic groups. Yet few people have talked to students about their perspectives regarding this reform, and the challenges students may face when schools reduce the number or levels of…

This article examines the practices of tracking and detracking in the social studies classroom. I argue that the content goals and the pedagogical orientations of social studies classes lend themselves to detracking. First I describe some of the issues regarding tracking and detracking in general. Following that is a discussion of the match…

The effects of relaxation exercises on orthography performance in language arts education of fifth to seventh graders were experimentally tested. Participants were 399 basic secondary school students and their language arts teachers from the Hauptschule, a German type of secondary education covering grades five to nine that leads to a basic…

This chapter describes the evolution, content, and use of Florida's unit record system, which includes data on K-20 students and staff. It presents examples of how information derived from tracking is used both for state-level policy making and institution-level research and practice.

In California, Algebra I is the 8th grade math content standard. The United States Department of Education found the annual 8th grade General Math California Standards Test to be out of compliance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 since it assesses 6th and 7th grade math standards and not Algebra I math content. In response to the…

This executive summary of a 28-page EdSource report highlights three powerful levers that state policymakers and local schools can use to strengthen high school curriculum. These levers are: (1) California's Academic Content Standards; (2) Eligibility to Attend the State's Public Universities, and (3) Career and Technical Education. It also…

The authors examined how math track placement and gender affected 7th-grade students' self-esteem, self-concepts, and social comparisons. Participants were 170 students who completed surveys that assessed their self-esteem, academic self-concepts of ability, and the kinds of social comparisons they make. Results showed that higher track students…

Notwithstanding empirical, pedagogical, and ethical criticism, the practice of tracking remains widespread. In part, this is because the process of detracking is seen as difficult and uncertain. This article uses case studies to introduce and illustrate 2 alternative approaches for moving forward with detracking reforms. The first, winning them…

In this article we assess the literature on cultural explanations for ethno-racial differences in K-12 schooling and academic performance. Some cultural arguments problematically define certain ethno-racial identities and cultures as subtractive from the goal of academic mobility while defining the ethnic cultures and identities of others as…

Many nations, including the United States, have had to make difficult decisions that often affect educational equity. This article addresses three controversial issues--parental contributions to public schools, student tracking, and testing practices--by comparing policies in South Africa, England, and China with those in the United States.

The dictum that "context matters" notwithstanding, few researchers have focused on how social capital affects educational outcomes for ethnic groups outside of the United States. Using German Socioeconomic Panel (GSOEP) data, analyses highlight the group-specific effects of parental social capital on track placement among 11-16-year-old…

British secondary schools moved from a system of extensive and early selection and tracking in secondary schools to one with comprehensive schools during the 1960s and 70s. Before the reform, students would take an exam at age eleven, which determined whether they would attend an academically oriented grammar school or a lower level secondary…