‘Streaming’ (or ‘tracking as referred to in the U.S.) is a process of separating students based on academic ability into groups (high, medium, or low) for all or a few subjects. Much has been said about the advantages and the drawbacks of this practice. Recently, the hot button topic made it to the front pages again. The CBC described a recent report from People for Education suggesting that “asking Grade 8 students to choose between academic and applied courses in high school sets some students up for failure.” The report’s findings also make clear the socio-political nature of ‘streaming’: “students taking applied courses in Grade 9 were much less likely to go to university and that students from low-income groups were more likely to enrol in applied courses.”

To read the CBC article and the published People for Education report, click here:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/end-streaming-in-ontario-high-schools-report-urges-1.3030195