Blog Posts
San Francisco’s Detracking Experiment
San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) adopted a detracking initiative in 2014-2015 school year, eliminating accelerated middle and high school math classes, including the option for advanced students to take Algebra I in eighth grade. The policy stands today. High schools feature a common math sequence of heterogeneously grouped classes studying Algebra I in ninth grade and Geometry in tenth grade. After 10thgrade, students are allowed to take math courses reflecting different abilities and interests.
[...] Read more »
Research I mentioned on the SVEF Forum, Understanding the California Mathematics Framework, February 2, 2022
Richard E. Clark, Paul A. Kirschner, and John Sweller (2012). Putting Students on the Path to Learning: The Case for Fully Guided Instruction.
[...] Read more »Does Detracking Promote Educational Equity
Tracking is back in the news. Controversy erupted in Virginia earlier this year when a proposal was floated requiring every student to take the same math class through 10th grade. The idea was quickly abandoned, with officials explaining that it’s “just a thought process right now.”
[...] Read more »The Education Exchange: Understanding the Failure of Common Core
Education Next
Trends in Reading and Math Achievement, by Race/Ethnicity, 1990-2019
In my recent book, Between the State and the Schoolhouse: Understanding the Failure of Common Core, I examine achievement gaps between different racial and ethnic groups. To guide the analysis, scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress--for Asian/Pacific Islanders, Blacks, Hispanics, and whites--are provided from 1990 to 2019. These four racial/ethnic groups make up about 95% of the NAEP testing population. Here I would like to add to the book's discussion and point out some of the most interesting trends in the data.
[...] Read more »