Tracking is the process of placing students in different courses based on their ability in certain subjects. I personally believe tracking is beneficial to education because it challenges students to further their thinking. Students in AP and honors classes choose these classes because they want that challenge.

Students who want a challenge or love to learn new things have the opportunity to do so if they take AP or honors classes. These classes teach kids more than just higher level topics for certain subjects – they teach students responsibility and time management skills. With more work and deadlines, they help students manage their time and learn how to turn in assignments when they are due. Kids also learn responsibilities like turning homework in on time, doing their work and trying their best through these higher level classes. The average level and lower levels learn the same skills but in different ways. Through these skills and working together, these kids will learn to get to the main idea.

Kids in courses like Math 1S are in those classes because they face struggles while learning. These classes are meant to help people learn the material in an environment that is suited for them. Being with kids at the same learning level helps them to work together with people who are in the same boat.

Students also take higher level classes in order to receive college credit. Many classes here at DGS have an AP version that anyone can take. These classes prepare kids who want to go to college as well as kids who want a challenge. They also allow students to get credit in high school to apply to their degree, which saves money and time in the long run.

From what I have seen in classes, students who struggle with material and work with students who know what they are doing are just given the correct answer without understanding why the answer is what it is. I personally connect to this because I was in Honors Biology and Chemistry when I shouldn’t have been, so I never understood the material and was confused every day.  I struggled and the other kids told me the answers and acted as if I knew nothing which is not how I want to feel at school. I dropped down to Physics 300 and to this day do not regret it.

Although people feel that tracking is limiting kids on their abilities, I personally believe that tracking has many benefits because of the life lessons it teaches and the challenge that certain kids want to take.