Question

Why are many sociologists opposed to tracking in schools? Select one: a. because studies have generally found that tracking reinforces previously existing inequalities for average or poor students b. because tracking is usually done inefficiently by contemporary schools c. because tracking creates hierarchies, which sociologists pretty uniformly reject d. because tracking reinforces the specialized role of students-as-consumers e. because tracking overly emphasizes testable knowledge while de-emphasizing critical thinking and creativity

Answer 1

a. because studies have generally found that tracking reinforces previously existing inequalities for average or poor students

Tracking is referred to as the separating of students within schools according to some measure of ability (Oakes et al. 2000). It is also known as 'ability grouping'. According to this system, the students who are placed in high ranking tracks receive positive effects, while low track students have to undergo negative effects. Studies have shown that less is expected of lower-track students. It is observed that the system of tracking labels a student as bright or poor and once a student is labelled, the label tend to make the reputation of the student regardless of if it is accurate or not.