Commentary—Sorting It Out: Thoughts on “Does Sorting Students Improve Scores? An Analysis of Class Composition” by Courtney A. Collins and Li Gan

One of the most challenging decisions made by school system administrators each year is how to assign students to teachers. This decision, usually guided by the administrator’s beliefs and values, has major implications for the teacher and the student. Collins and Gan undertook a complex study to ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of advanced academics 2016-05, Vol.27 (2), p.117-123
Main Author: Coleman, Mary Ruth Blackwell
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ability Grouping
Academic Achievement
Core curriculum
Education reform
Educational Change
Educational Practices
Gifted
High Achievement
Individualized Instruction
Learning
Limited English Speaking
Low Achievement
Mathematics
Mathematics Achievement
Outcomes of Education
Private Schools
Reading
Reading Achievement
School Districts
Scores
Special Education
Student Placement
Students
Teaching Methods
Texas
Track System (Education)
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Summary:One of the most challenging decisions made by school system administrators each year is how to assign students to teachers. This decision, usually guided by the administrator’s beliefs and values, has major implications for the teacher and the student. Collins and Gan undertook a complex study to examine the impact of grouping practices on student achievement within 135 schools in the Dallas independent school district. Their study addressed three issues: (a) how schools sort students into classes, (b) the effect of these sorting practices on student performance, and (c) differences in effects for different groups of students. They looked at the “tracking effect” on high- and low-achieving students, students who had been identified for special (SPED) and gifted (GT) education, and for students with limited English proficiency (LEP). This commentary explores the implications of this study for students with gifts and talents.
ISSN:1932-202X
2162-9536
DOI:10.1177/1932202X16634143