Tracking and Ability Grouping in Florida: Educator's Perceptions.

Florida educators, parents, and school board members are intensely debating the issue of tracking and ability grouping. After summarizing recent research affirming the deleterious effects of ability grouping, this report describes a survey of 600 Florida educators regarding their perceptions of this practice and their beliefs about its effectiveness and efficacy. The stratified random sample was equally divided among teachers, school principals, and central office supervisors and represented the state geographically, socioeconomically, and educationally (by levels). The survey, which had a 49 percent response rate (n=293), was divided into four parts: student characteristics; district or school grouping practices; respondent's perspectives on homogeneous and heterogeneous grouping; and additional aspects of grouping practices in the respondent's school or district. The results suggest that students in Florida's public schools experience a substantial amount of ability grouping that escalates as they move from elementary grades on through high school. The majority of Florida educators appear to be opposed to ability grouping as currently practiced and supportive of heterogeneous approaches, but are uncertain about the effectiveness of alternatives. Florida educators are also anxious about the resistance they receive from parents of gifted and talented students and from vocal, influential teachers and administrators opposed to heterogeneous grouping. (Contains 51 references.) (MLH)