PRODUCING EQUAL-STATUS INTERACTION IN THE HETEROGENEOUS CLASSROOM

Emphasis on tracking and ability grouping as sources of inequality and as goals for reform ignores processes of stratification within hetero geneous classrooms. Research literature on effects of classroom status inequality is reviewed. The article presents a test of two interventi ons derived from expectation states theory and designed to counteract the process of stratification in classrooms using academically heterog eneous small groups. The design focuses on variation in the frequency with which teachers carried out status treatments in 13 elementary sch ool classrooms, all of which were using the same curriculum and the sa me system of classroom management. There was good support for the hypo theses that the use of status treatments would be associated with high er rates of participation of low-status students and would have no eff ect on the participation of high-status students. Analysis at the clas sroom level revealed that more frequent use of these treatments was as sociated with more equal-status interaction.