TITLE A Question of Access: Tracking and Curriculum Differentiation in a National Sample of English and Mathematics Classes. A Study of Schooling in the

Classroom variables and student track levels were studied to determine the impact of tracking. and the resulting differences in student educational experiences. A secondary analysis oC nationwide data collected for "A Study of Schooling " was used in an analysis of the classroom experiences of students in 297 secondary school English and mathematics classes. The investigation focused on how track levels differed in three major aspects of daily classroom life (curricular content, instructional practice, social relationships and interactions) and in selected student attitudes. Tracked classes were compared with heterogeneous classes on the same dimensions. An uneven racial distribution was found among tracks, particularly in schools where minority students were poor. The data analysis indicated that education in the schools studied was not available to all on an equal basis. Low track students were leas