Academic tracking: survival of the fittest

The purpose of this study is to explore the social, cultural, political, academic, and legal implications of academic tracking as it affects Chicana/o student populations. First, I will provide a trajectory of the historical racialization of Chicana/os and then demonstrate how and why these effects connect to the Chicana/o experiences with educational practices, specifically academic tracking in the k-12 system. Thereafter, I will conduct a content analysis of eight legal cases and proceedings regarding student integration and exclusion. This analysis will then be juxtaposed with narratives from a case study of Chicana/o student experiences with academic tracking in a Chicago Public School. The leading research question for this study will be: Is academic tracking discriminatory? Overall, through the use of a case study, content analysis, and counter narratives, the significance of this study is to explore whether academic tracking is a form of racialization violating student rights. Furthermore, this study will propose alternative approaches and responses to create ethical, democratic, and humanizing educational experiences, policies, and practices