| dc.description.abstract | Schools throughout the country are grappling with the notion of tracking versus detracking students in math based on their achievement in grade six or lower. Ambrose Academy, a pseudonym, chose to detrack seventh-grade math to be more sensitive to students’ self-concepts and broaden future opportunities for math placement. This change occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic when distance learning and asynchronous work became the norm. The school hopes to ascertain a more detailed understanding of the ramifications of detracking. Understanding student self-concept is paramount to choosing the next steps. Surveys, information gathered from the school’s website and administrative assistants, and interviews were the primary data sources for this project. Academic self-concept and cumulative advantage, the primary features revolving around the notion of detracking math, tie into sensemaking (Weick, 1993) and self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000). While sensemaking provides a window into understanding how we make decisions, self-determination theory reflects our desire to maintain autonomy over our lives. I identified several findings from the surveys and interviews, which allowed me to propose three recommendations for the school. | |
