TRACK MOBILITY IN SECONDARY-SCHOOL

Tracking, a pervasive organizational practice in American secondary sc hools, creates instructional groups that are homogeneous with respect to student ability. It is a highly controversial practice frequently c riticized because if locks students into a particular track level for an entire school year or longer. This study examines several theoretic al ideas about the basis of track selection and about track mobility p atterns. Relying on longitudinal data from over 2,000 students, the re search examines the frequency of track mobility and the direction of c hange in track assignments over students' four year high school career s. The data show evidence of considerably more mobility than is typica lly assumed. The findings relate mobility to student and school charac teristics and to the curriculum. The results demonstrate how track mob ility can provide differential learning opportunities to pupils, parti cularly females and low-income students.