"Should students of different abilities take the same class? Ability grouping became a source of conflict among parents, administrators and candidates during school board elections in Stamford, Conn., this past fall. Also known as 'tracking,' the practice sorts pupils into separate classes based on their perceived academic skill level.
Some Stamford parents pushed back when superintendent Joshua Starr introduced measures that would reduce the number of ability groups in the district's middle schools and make placement more flexible. Fearing an eventual move to one heterogeneous class that couldn't meet the needs of all children -- from average to honors students -- some parents launched a group to protest the proposals. The issue divided local school board candidates.
Starr was steadfast and criticized the stratified s"
Some Stamford parents pushed back when superintendent Joshua Starr introduced measures that would reduce the number of ability groups in the district's middle schools and make placement more flexible. Fearing an eventual move to one heterogeneous class that couldn't meet the needs of all children -- from average to honors students -- some parents launched a group to protest the proposals. The issue divided local school board candidates.
Starr was steadfast and criticized the stratified s"