The ‘Psychological Prisons’ from which They Never Escaped: the role of ability grouping in reproducing social class inequalities JO BOALER

Paper about ability grouping leads to psychological prison

instead we need equitable and effective grouping polices that promote high achievement for all.

This statement in the reading: One of the most important goals of schools is to provide
stimulating environments for all children; environments in which children’s interest can be peaked and nurtured, with teachers who are ready to recognize, cultivate and develop the potential that children show at different times and in different areas. It is difficult to support a child’s development and nurture their potential if they are placed into a low group at a very early age, told that they
are achieving at lower levels than others, given less challenging and interesting work, taught by less qualified and experienced teachers, and separated from

International Perspectives on Ability Grouping

Japanese concept of group education, not individual education. Because we want everyone to improve, promote and achieve goals together, rather than individually. That’s why we want
students to help each other, to learn from each other (...), to get along and grow together – mentally, physically and intellectually.

Response to text to  how we run Aroha: Draft notes so far

Students grouped according to curriculum level. Within these groups are mixed ability groups and specific goals taught. Teachers know when students have achieved a goal and will move accordingly. We are constantly assessing and reorganising groupings. Currently we are sorting and assessing for HERO.

Mixed ability lesson's are taking place. Still students have the feeling sometimes on they are not good enough as problems progress. 

Yes it is good for students to help others and explain the thinking. This can help with large numbers

I think there needs to be a balance of both. Extending all students which also means extending the top students.

Is the online approach very much a part of this such as KHAN when students are able to move at their own pace. 

A mixture of all and a balance.

This is also where workshops are important and the students having access and knowledge of what is needed at certain levels and what this means. They can self nominate into workshops

Also from the teacher's perspective - knowing what to teach in the limited time we have etc

Discussion from Senior Leadership Team

Discussion points: 

FORUM (2002) revealed that 88% of children placed into sets or streams at age 4 remain in the same groupings until they leave school.

In Sweden ability grouping is illegal because it is known to produce inequities.

Japanese educators are bemused by the Western goal of sorting students into high and low ‘abilities’....That’s why we want students to help each other, to learn from each other (...), to get along and grow together – mentally, physically and intellectually.(teacher B) (Yiu, 2001)

There is no escaping the fact that mixed ability teaching is difficult and it requires advanced knowledge and practice of pedagogy (Boaler, 2004, 2005)

...teachers had regarded everyone as a high achiever…. Learn about equitable and effective grouping policies that promote high achievement for all and reduce rather than reproduce social inequalities.

Purpose of collaborative teaching and learning - to model and support as teachers in the classroom. Question for us as teachers - are we moving away from collaborative teaching? A good time to be reflective on our teaching practice. We must be collaborating as teachers to be growing our capabilities and supporting each other through collaborating practice. 

It is a real challenge to mixed ability groups - use workshopping more using HERO to teach to a goal rather than a level e.g. could be a fluency goal but could have children from lower and higher levels. 

Collaborative planning & teaching whether in a single cell or ILE

The WHY is easy .. we understand but what it comes back to is the HOW - keeping children motivated, settled, engaged in rich learning - come back to the Key Competencies - how are we managing that with the children. 

 A great reading to provoke our thinking around our collaborative teaching and learning, ability groupings & collaborative practice.

When teachers collaborate children and teachers benefit from each other.

As a leadership team, we need to come back to our WHY? Perhaps with a change in staff and environments we  need to come back to look at this together to grow our pedagogy / capability as to what this should look like - our aspirations.

How do we overcome the barriers to allow this collaborative practice to happen.