Teacher Tea
The Impact of Honors Courses on Student Achievement
Should Honors courses even exist? Whom do they really benefit?
In a new study featured in the Economics of Education Review, “Are Separate Classrooms Inherently Unequal? The Effect of Within-School Sorting on the Socioeconomic Test Score Gap in Hungary,” authors Zoltán Hermann, Hedvig Horváth, Dorottya Kisfalusi explain that Hungarian schools often sort students into classes based on their socioeconomic status. Hungary experiences high levels of school segregation based on socioeconomic status, both at the primary and secondary levels due to factors such as residential segregation, parental choices in primary schools, and the highly stratified nature of the secondary education system. This practice exacerbates academic disparities, particularly harming low-income students. High-income students, on the other hand, see little to no benefit. The unequal distribution of educational resources within schools likely contributes to this trend.
In particular, the study investigates the impact of within-school sorting on socioeconomic test score inequalities in Hungarian schools. The authors find that such sorting, even when not explicitly based on merit, can significantly widen the achievement gap between high- and low-socioeconomic status students, and this is largely due to the reallocation of resources. While high-status students may benefit in some ways from a more homogeneous peer group, they do not gain significantly in terms of academic achievement. The study highlights the importance of equalizing access to educational resources for all students in order to mitigate the negative effects of sorting.
While this study is uniquely focused on the Hungarian education system, it provides interesting insight into larger questions of student sorting, which in the United States is based on course leveling. Such course leveling significantly impacts teaching practices and student outcomes. Sorting by ability level can include differentiated instruction, but it might create homogeneous classrooms that may limit student growth. Conversely, heterogeneous grouping can promote diverse perspectives and challenge students, but it might also require more differentiated instruction and support. Understanding the implications of different sorting methods is necessary for effective teaching and equitable learning opportunities.