Should We Eliminate Tracking?

I believe that tracking is beneficial for students. I attended a private, Catholic K-8 school that believed all students were on equal academic standing. Because of this, we moved rather slowly through the curriculum and when I entered high school, I realized the disadvantages I would experience compared to kids who had graduated from honors or advanced tracks. In high school, I was given the choice to opt for advanced tracks in a variety of subjects through AP and honors courses. Hoping to better their education, many students fought for the coveted seats in these advanced tracks because they would be adequately challenged in the classroom environment where every student cared about the subject and wanted to learn more. However, those who were unable to place into the honors track could always apply next year or even next semester if they worked hard enough and those in the honors track could return to the standard track if they were performing poorly. This motivated kids to strive and work hard to move up the academic ladder while ensuring that students would continue working if they were on the advanced track. Also, the advanced and standard track have a diverse student population and no one is pressured to join or stay away from any particular track based on gender, ethnicity, or another factor other than determination and academic ability.

Despite the diversity and mobility with respect to tracking in my school, the system is not perfect. I understand that in many schools, minorities generally tend to stay on the standard track, which is often lacking in academic instruction compared to that of their peers. It is unfortunate that there are minorities who deserve to be in the advanced track but are forcibly kept out by the administration while undeserving whites remain in the advanced track despite their poor performance. Without the freedom of choice, one of our basic and unalienable rights as Americans, our peers experience many injustices that children our age should not have to deal with. However, their academics is not the only thing that suffers; it soon becomes apparent that the standard track often lacks the same opportunities and resources that the advanced track is provided with, and a feeling of worthlessness and inferiority begins to permeate through their susceptible minds. Additionally, teachers of the standard track often hold lower expectations for their students, which does not motivate the students to work hard and succeed but rather discourages students from reaching their full potential and challenging themselves. Before this week's critical discussion, I was limited to my high school's system of tracking in schools, which worked pretty well. Learning about the struggles of tracking in other schools has showed me that it is not a perfect system but if we could steer schools to mirror a system similar to that of my high school, perhaps it would allow tracking to thrive.