Chapter 7: Classroom Organization and Instructional Quality

When teachers divide students into separate classes or groups on the basis of prior performance, they do so because they think students are best served by receiving instruction targeted to their particular levels of accomplishment up to that point. Consider the case of first grade reading: Some children enter school without knowing the alphabet, others are familiar with the letter sounds, and still others are already strong readers. To accommodate these differences, teachers typically divide students into reading groups. For another example, consider ninth grade mathematics: Some students enter high school with eight grade algebra under their belts, others have yet to master arithmetic, and many others are in-between. In response, high schools commonly divide students for ninth grade mathematics into general math, pre-algebra, algebra, and geometry classes. To most teachers, these divisions make sense. They make it possible to think about instruction as organized in a clear sequence, to find each student’s place in the sequence using criteria they consider objective, and to provide instruction intended to move each student along the instructional hierarchy. In short, ability grouping seems like a neutral device for matching instruction to students’ needs.