Talking Point #6--Why Schools Need to Take Another Route

Talking Point #6--Why Schools Need to Take Another Route

Jeannie Oakes

Premise:

• teachers
• students
• parents
• tracking
• ability
  
• less able/more able
• opportunity
• encouragement
• alternatives
• privileges
  

Author's Argument:
Oakes argues that "less able" students are having fewer opportunities to learn so we must alter the tracking system so that all students can learn and have the same opportunities. Oakes thinks that their are many reasons why the tracking of students in schools is penal for students that are considered low-ability to average.

Evidence:
1. "One fact about tracking is unequivocal: Tracking Leads to substantial differences in the day-to-day learning experiences students have at school" (178).
-- This immediately proves that tracking does not really work; students in higher groups have more access to richer schooling experiences rather then the low group or average groups.

2. "These differences in learning opportunities point to fundamental and ironic school inequities. Students who need more time to learn appear to get less; those who have the most difficulty learning seem to have fewer of the best teachers" (179).
--Again this demonstrates the consequences of being considered a lower ability type of student. It is unfair that the people who need to most education get the least and are not able to get the better teachers.

3. “Compared to teachers in high-ability classes, they seem to be more concerned about getting students to follow directions, be on time, and sit quietly. Students in lower-ability classes more often feel excluded from class activities and tend to find their classmates unfriendly” (179).
--This shows that students feel excluded or even invisible (Carlson) that maybe they may be in the wrong state of mind to want to learn.

4. "The kinds of changes likely to promote high-quality learning for all students in heterogeneous classrooms go far beyond mere fine tuning of correct practice. These changes also require fundamental changes in the structure of schooling and teachers' work" (181).
--Oakes shows that these tracking problems will take a while to make correct and they require changes in the schools and teachers work.

Questions/Comments/Points to Share:
This article was a little bit confusing to me because there were a lot of points and arguments so I'm not sure if I found the correct one. Other than that, I believe in a learning environment where children will educate each other through positive interaction and modeling. It can be fostered through clear expectations, enforcing the expectations, and respecting one another. I like the idea of an inclusive classroom because students will not feel left out or labeled. Oakes points out some great ideas on how to organize your classroom (page 180). I also liked how she pointed out that the "rich get richer and poor get poorer" .. meaning those who are less fortunate in life and those with a lower ability in schools do not get the advantages or benefits as the rich or high ability.