A lot of folks often conflate two separate concepts: - tracking - ability grouping But they're fundamentally different. Tracking is putting students into fi

A lot of folks often conflate two separate concepts: - tracking - ability grouping But they're fundamentally different. Tracking is putting students into fixed academic paths early on. Once they're in one track, they can't switch to a different track. Ability grouping is different. It's about meeting students where they are in each subject, with regular reassessment and movement between groups as appropriate. Math is a perfect example: it makes little sense to group purely by age when students naturally progress at different rates. A flexible system that lets students move up or down based on their current level and learning pace isn't tracking. Putting people on a single fixed track, with their position determined solely by their age, is stupid. We need a derogatory name for it. Maybe: - cohort prison - grade lockdown - calendar caging ?