Student Opportunity: Inequalities in High School Academic Tracking

The focus of this Capstone Project was on analyzing the effects of academic tracking in high school. This is an important issue for students who are currently enrolled in high school because they suffer the effects of tracking. It is argued that students placed in low tracks are not given the same education as students in GATE or AVID tracks. Additionally, students in non-college prep tracks may not have had the opportunity to learn about or meet the requirements necessary to be college-bound. Considerations of the issue required interviewing high school alumni from a high school located in Salinas, all interviewees were placed on different academic tracks during their high school career. Three action options emerged from analysis of the data and were explored as ways to address the issue presented: detracking, enhancing class material and creating college readiness programs for all students. It is argued to be the most effective way to achieve the goals of having all students be college bound is to create college readiness programs for all students regardless of their track