Tracking and Detracking: Debates, Evidence, and Best Practices for a Heterogeneous World

Abstract

Although debate over tracking continues, many schools and districts have attempted various detracking reforms. Detracking efforts vary greatly in method and scope. Assessments of detracking are widely divergent as well, making it difficult to gauge the effectiveness of the reform. Evidence suggests that when implemented well, detracking opens new academic opportunities for students. Additionally, as difference and equity are, arguably, issues in all classrooms, detracking best practices are potentially helpful for teachers and students in tracked and detracked settings. This article provides an overview of (a) the debate over school tracking, (b) various attempts at detracking, and (c) best practices in detracked classrooms and schools, highlighting instructional practices, institutional structures, and belief changes that best support learning in heterogeneous settings.