Teacher Tea
Level-Tracking in Education: Examining the Benefits and Drawbacks
The practice of level-tracking in courses was established to ensure that all students would learn at their own pace and receive the appropriate level of support. By monitoring student progress and selecting the appropriate level, teachers have a better chance of identifying students who are struggling and providing them with additional resources or interventions. Conversely, tracking can also help teachers identify students who are excelling and challenge them with more advanced material. This personalized approach to instruction was intended to create a more effective learning environment for all students.
But this model has been criticized in recent years, with some voices in education advocating for multilevel or heterogeneous grouping. If such a model is implemented, then the question is, how do different groups of students—high-performing, struggling, or average—perceive their experiences in multilevel classrooms? And are there specific subjects in which multilevel classrooms are more (or less) effective? Ryan Normandin, a teacher in Newton, Massachusetts, has written a commentary about his experience with such an experiment at the high school where he teaches. His article, “In Newton, We Tried an Experiment in Educational Equity. It Has Failed,” was originally published in The Boston Globe.
Normandin critiques the implementation of such multilevel classrooms in the Newton Public Schools; the model was introduced in 2021 in order to replace tracked classes as part of an effort to promote equity. These multilevel classes mixed students of varying abilities into a single classroom, with the goal of providing more advanced content exposure for lower-level students and encouraging diverse peer interactions. But three years later, the model has faced significant criticism from teachers, students, and parents.
According to Normandin, teachers report feeling unsupported and overwhelmed, struggling to meet the diverse needs of students with varying skill levels. Lower-performing students often feel hesitant to ask questions, while higher-performing students report disengagement. Surveys and teacher-collected data reveal that students in multilevel classrooms underperform compared to those in single-level classes, particularly in STEM and world languages. Despite these issues, the district implemented the initiative without clear metrics for success or evidence of its benefits.
The school’s Faculty Council and community members have petitioned for the rollback of multilevel classrooms in certain subjects, citing their failure to improve outcomes for underserved students and their negative impact on teacher morale. While acknowledging the flaws in tracked classes, Normandin ultimately argues that multilevel classrooms are a worse alternative, and calls for piloted, opt-in programs and data-driven solutions to address educational disparities more effectively.