- Data reveals a considerable amount of track mobility during high school.
- In mathematics, 7% finish high school at a higher track and 4% at a lower track than they started, while 64% drop tracked mathematics.
- Data refute the claim that tracking locks students into a track level at the beginning of high school and precludes subsequent change.
- Students tend to move to a higher or lower track after a specific course has been completed rather than while it is in progress, thereby minimizing disruption of instruction.
- A pattern in timing of track mobility is that more change occurs later in students’ high school careers than earlier.
- The short term nature of most of these tracks changes suggests that students are exploring different track levels but finding that their initial placement was appropriate.
- In mathematics, the model shows that females are less likely to move to a higher mathematics track than males.
- Strong performance leads to upward track mobility. Weak performance predicts downward track mobility.
- Student background, ability, and achievement affect track mobility.
- Females, older students, and low-SES students are more likely to drop mathematics than their peers.
- Lower grades and test scores are the strongest predictors of both moving to a lower track and dropping a tracked subject.
- Mobility is not being used in a systematic way by the schools to increase track homogeneity. Mainly, because of student choice and their track selection and change.