Volume 2 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal of K-12 Educational Research - Page 46

44 THE EFFECTS OF ACADEMIC GROUPING ON STUDENT PERFORMANCE IN SCIENCE Sally Smykla Scoggins, Ed.D. Introduction and Background Since the establishment of schools in the United States, group - ing students by intelligence, gender, socioeconomic status, or race has been common practice (Reese, 1995). In the 1700s and 1800s, the wealthy built and financed schools so that young men from affluent families could be educated to compete in the world economy. There has been a political struggle between the upper and middle classes and the less affluent ever since (Reese, 1995). In the twenty-first century, when all Americans have access to free public education, grouping students by academic ability is a common practice assumed by some to provide the right curricula for students and maximize student learning and development (Agne, 1999; Ansalone, 2010; Schullery & Schullery, 2006; Van - derhart, 2006). Opponents to grouping argue that ability grouping contributes to sustained social inequality, is divisive along racial and socioeconomic lines, and causes greater disparity in achieve- ment between the high and low tracked students (Ansalone, 2010; Loveless, 1999; Manning & Kovach, 2003; Mickelson, 2015; Oakes, 2005). Districts and schools continue to offer advanced classes, on-level, and lower level classes with the understanding that students will be better served when learning with students of similar perceived academic ability (Wheeler & Harmon, 2012; Wheelock, 1994). Opponents contend that by placing students in lower tracks, the students receive a less challenging curriculum and the least experienced or lowest performing teachers (Ansa - lone, 2010; Darling-Hammond, 2006; Kalogrides & Loeb, 2013; Manning & Kovach, 2003; Mills, 1998; Oakes, 2005; Worthy, 2010). The perception of tracking is that grouping students by race and socioeconomic status gives the students who are White an advantage over students who are Non-White and the students from affluent families an advantage over students from low socio - economic families when driven by race and socioeconomic status (Manning & Kovach, 2003; Mickelson, 2015; Oakes, 2005). Research Design The purpose of the current study was to examine how ability grouping affected the scores of students on the eighth-grade Science State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) in general, by socioeconomic status (SES), and by race. The comparison groups were enrolled in pre-advanced placement (Pre-AP) science classes or regular homogeneous eighth-grade science classes. Each Pre-AP eighth-grade group completed either a heterogeneous seventh-grade science class, a regular seventh-grade science class, or a Pre-AP seventh-grade science class. The seventh-grade heterogeneous science classes contained students of all ability levels. The regular classes contained all stu - dents except those students in Pre-AP classes—creating regular homogeneous classes and homogeneous Pre-AP classes. Figure 1 is a visual representation of the course sequence options. The current study was a quantitative, non-experimental, causal-comparative study. The independent variables were the groups of eighth-grade science students based on the grouping configuration of their seventh-grade science classes, SES, and race. The dependent variable was the students’ scale scores on the eighth-grade science STAAR. The researcher collected ex post facto eighth-grade science STAAR data from academic school years 2011-2012, 2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015 and compared the mean scale scores of the groups of students to determine if the difference in student Journal of K-12 Educational Research 2018, VOL. 2, ISSUE 1 www.dbu.edu/doctoral/edd