Archived: The Educational System in the United States: Case Study Findings

Ability Differences
Discussions held with parents and teachers about differences in ability among chil-
dren revealed broad recognition of differences in students’ achievement in mathe-
matics and science. The breakdown of the family, poverty, and lack of parental
involvement in their children’s schooling were often cited by parents, teachers,

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and students as barriers to academic achievement for many students, and they per-
ceived the demographic trends in these areas as the primary sources of problems
that have emerged in the country’s schools. Most respondents stated that, more
than anything else, the presence or absence of family support was the basis of
differences in students’ achievement in mathematics and science.
The schools we visited dealt with differences in ability in many ways, but nearly
all had developed some form of tracking or ability grouping. Tracking was com-
mon in junior and senior high schools, while the more common practice in ele-
mentary schools was to rely on ‘‘pull-outs,’’ in which children needing special
assistance were removed from their regular classroom for special tutoring. Separat-
ing students into tracks or ability groups on the basis of academic achievement
was a source of friction between teachers, administrators, and parents. The con-
tradictions between the goal of meeting each students’ needs and objections to
the practices of tracking and grouping were hard to resolve for many parents,
many of whom stated that they wanted fairness but also wanted their children
to be challenged academically.
Programs for gifted students were less common than remedial programs, and most
schools that we visited spent a considerable portion of their resources on reme-
dial instruction. Special education programs were also common, but enrolling chil-
dren with disabilities in regular classrooms was a frequent practice, especially dur-
ing the elementary school years.
Many of the conversations about ability differences eventually resulted in discus-
sions of special education programs for students of low academic ability, as well
as for those with emotional, psychological, and physical handicaps. Every school
in the sample had remedial and special education programs, but the degree to
which physical and monetary resources were available for these programs varied
widely.
Among high school students, individual differences in ability and achievement
were typically handled by enrolling students in classes of different levels of dif-
ficulty. This was true for high school courses in mathematics and science, where
courses were usually taught at vocational, general, and advanced levels. Many high
schools also offered advanced-placement courses. The courses in which college-
bound students enrolled depended upon their ability, interests, and prior prepara-
tion. The typical school system attempted to meet the instructional needs of stu-
dents of different levels of achievement and motivation through these procedures,
while at the same time attempting to maintain equality of access and opportunity
to all students.

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No national policy exists regarding the treatment of ability differences among stu-
dents. Although federal law mandates particular types of programs for students
with special needs, local school districts and school administrators tended to im-
plement those practices that they believed were most appropriate for their situa-
tion.