Is Grouping Kids by Ability Really About Ability? | Teen Ink

Is Grouping Kids by Ability Really About Ability?

January 8, 2016
By brooklynC BRONZE, Indianapolis, Indiana
brooklynC BRONZE, Indianapolis, Indiana
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

“...Average achievers benefited from being placed in higher achieving classes and 91% of the kids will be more likely to complete a two-year sequence of preparatory college mathematics courses in high school.”(Gamoran et al. 1997)A lot of people know this special program as;Pre-AP,Academic Plus,Acceleration Track,College Prep, and Honors. “I believe that the state and school district is showing preference towards caucasian students.Teachers and principals need to add more African American students to higher classes.” Teachers have high expectations for Caucasian students in middle school ,but low expectations for African American students.African American students have been living with these stereotypes their whole life,and it affects their performance. The teachers and principals are showing favoritism for a reason.

Teachers have high expectations for Caucasian students, but low expectations for African American students.A teacher's influence on  a student's achievement has shown to be 20 times greater than other variables,such as class size and poverty.”(Stand.org)
Mrs.Shively a Language Arts teacher states, “If I have high expectations for my students,then they have high expectations themselves,if i have low expectations for my students then they will have low expectations for themselves.”

African American students have been living with stereotypes their whole life,and it affects their performance. “These black kids have been told they're not smart,or that they'll never never graduate,or that they’ll be in jail in 5 years,and that messes with their heads.Negative stereotypes in classrooms or other learning environments can lower performance as the ability to learn and retain new information.”(Haelin coho from the Stanford daily)We start believing the stereotypes  and they limit us like a brick wall, it hold some of us back from our true potential.But a lot of the time it has nothing to do with the student it's the teacher.

The teachers and principals are showing favoritism.(Blacks: Education Issues )Mickelson , A Principle in Charlotte,North Carolina stated, “Tracking was used as a tool to maintain  white privilege by placing African American students in lower academic tracks.”Teachers were used to relying on white kids to get good grades,but now that there's smart black kids it's iffy?We need to look past color.

We need to put more regular kids with high test scores in Pre-AP.A protester might say something along the lines of , “ They don't try hard,their lazy.”I would respond with , “No, you just have to believe in them, and be patient.Someone might respond with , “ I've been patient they don't listen, and they play around too much!”I would respond with It's because you don't understand,you need to make it interesting.They would argue and protest , “ It's learning , their there to learn not have fun.”My final statement would be to that person well they need a little push that's all.We as a society need to start to think of African American students as intelligent kids who can do just as good, and deserve a more proper opportunity to join honors.

“...Average achievers benefited from being placed in higher achieving classes and 91% of the kids will be more likely to complete a two-year sequence of preparatory college mathematics courses in high school.”(Gamoran et al. 1997)It is more common that Caucasian students  are being favored in honors than African American students.Schools need to change that.Schools need to change the racism, and favoritism in school, because we are the kids of the future , and your only hurting yourself.

 


Works Cited     
        
National Education Association.com
Education world.com
Stand.org
Cie.asu.edu
“Blacks: Education Issues.” NEA. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Jan. 2016.
“When It Comes to Volatile Kids, Pick Your Battles.” N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Jan. 2016.



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