Ability Grouping in K-

12: What Research Has

to Say
Danica Puente
EDU 2110
What is Ability
Grouping?
Ability grouping is the practice of grouping children together
in a class or subject according to their talents and abilities in
the classroom. The purpose is to be able to give students of
similar abilities the same opportunities.
ABILITY GROUPING: A
HISTORY

Ability grouping has In the 1920s

been in the intelligence tests were
American education used to separate
system since it students into groups
based on their
began when low-
estimated future
income students abilities.
were grouped into Ability grouping fell
education related to out of favor in the
a trade while those 1950s and 1960s as
with wealth were people began to be
allowed to learn concerned about equal
 The Pros
When students are grouped by ability
teachers can adjust the pace of instruction
based on the needs of the students: faster
for more advanced students or slower for
those who need extra time to understand a
concept
Curriculum can be tailored to the ability
level of the group
Teachers are able to spend more time with
curriculum without having to differentiate.
 The Cons
Grouping can create barriers between students and
alienate one group from another.
Students who are grouped in lower ability groups
sometimes perform at lower levels. This is called the
self-fulfilling prophecy phenomenon.
Students in higher ability groups can become over-
confident and arrogant.
Ability grouping tends to put low-income and
minority children in lower ability groups
 A Word of
Caution
Ability grouping has been used as a way to discriminate
based on ethnicity, skin color, or class status. This is an
incorrect use of ability grouping and is a violation of a
students rights.
The phrase separate but equal was used to segregate
African-American students from their Caucasian
counterparts and at the time many people believed that
Caucasians were more intelligent.
This is not ability grouping, it is racism and
prejudicial. There are no legitimate studies that
prove one race or ethnicity is more intelligent
than another.
Alfred Binet, who is commonly associated with the
notion of IQ, had strong reservations about using
intelligence test data to classify and categorize children
based on one number. His main reason was his
awareness of how difficult it could be to collect
objective scientific data. Another reason was his fear
that ...individual children [would be] placed in
different categories by different diagnosticians,
using highly impressionistic diagnostic criteria . .
. [and] . . . that the diagnosis was of particular
moment in borderline cases.
Why Group by
Ability?
The current trend is toward grouping
 Should I Ability Group?
As future educators there are many tools at
our disposal if ability grouping would be
beneficial in our classroom
Ability grouping should be done judiciously
and with the objective to meet ALL students
needs
It may not be necessary to ability group in
your school or classroom, thats why we
have differentiated instruction
The Reality of Grouping
Grouping There are
varies from many ways to
school to group within a
school and classroom
classroom to without
classroom creating
Grouping is barriers
easier to do in between the
middle and abilities
high school.
 The method of grouping makes a difference

Low Middle High

Current research indicates that while ability grouping can be beneficial it is the
most effective if the group is not completely homogenous. Higher and middle
students can help lower students and middle and higher students are more
likely to achieve more in a heterogenous environment.
Web Resources
Many teachers
are using web
resources for
ability grouping.
Place your screenshot here
The website
MobyMax allows
students to log-in
and work at their
own pace. Their
teacher track a
students progress
and may even
assign the student
certain activities to
References

1. Research Spotlight on Academic Ability Grouping. (n.d.). Retrieved February 08,

2016, from http://www.nea.org/tools/16899.htm
2. Gamoran, A. (October 1992). Synthesis of Research / Is Ability Grouping
Equitable? Educational Leadership, 50(2), 11-17. Retrieved February 28, 2016,
from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-
leadership/oct92/vol50/num02/Synthesis-of-Research-~-Is-Ability-Grouping-
Equitable.aspx
3. Sosnowski, J. (n.d.). The Pros & Cons of Ability Grouping in Elementary Schools.
Retrieved February 28, 2016, from http://education.seattlepi.com/pros-cons-
ability-grouping-elementary-schools-2950.html
4. Testing in American schools: Asking the right questions. (1992). Retrieved March
09, 2016, from https://www.princeton.edu/~ota/disk1/1992/9236/923606.PDF.
5. Vasilopoulos, A. (2012). Pros and Cons of Grouping Students by Ability. Retrieved
March 06, 2016, from https://uoitonlinetech.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/pros-
and-cons-of-grouping-students-by-ability/
6. Gardner, K. G. (2016, March 01). Ability Grouping at Upland Terrace Elementary
School [Personal interview].
7. Loveless, T. (2013). Ability Grouping, Tracking, and How Schools Work. Retrieved