Editing Ability grouping (section)

== Contrasted with tracking ==
Ability grouping is ''not'' synonymous with [[Tracking (education)|tracking]].<ref name=":0" /> Tracking differs from ability grouping by scale, permanence, and what students learn.  

While a teacher could easily move an individual student from the "red table" to "blue table" ability group, tracking is a formal designation that often persists throughout a students' entire school career.  In a tracking system, the entire student population is assigned to different classes, or even to different schools, according to their perceived academic potential.  Tracked students attend all classes only with students whose overall academic achievement is the same as their own.  Among younger students, a tracked school may teach the same underlying subjects, such as reading and mathematics, in different styles, speeds, or depth.  Among older students, the students in different tracks are usually given the opportunity to learn only subjects that are deemed appropriate for their track.  For example, a student in a "university" track is usually not permitted to study blue-collar [[vocational skills]] like [[welding]].

Homogeneous grouping refers to grouping students solely with their academic peers, while heterogeneous grouping means that students are grouped with others of varying ability.  Ability grouping can occur in either a heterogeneous or homogeneous classroom.