Ability grouping is advantageous to teachers because it helps them better differentiate instruction for their students. If students in a group all have the same or very similar abilities, it provides the teacher with opportunities to modify lessons or adjust the pace of learning to better fit student needs. Though students are part of a group, teachers need to remember to monitor student progress closely on an individual basis and move students accordingly. Ability grouping also allows teachers to engage students in cooperative learning experiences. On the downside, placing students in ability groups may cause teachers to form biased opinions of students and treat them differently. Teachers may find themselves being more positive, patient with and respectful to students in higher ability groups that they are able to teach with less effort.
Ability grouping most often ends up being beneficial to gifted students and harmful to low-achieving students. Gifted students benefit from ability grouping because they are presented with an enriched curriculum that moves at a fast pace. Students in higher ability groups have shown better academic achievement than those in lower ability groups because they are challenged more. They are also often privileged to experiences such as independent studies, more choices of activities and access to the classroom computer.
Students in low ability groups are often presented with the curriculum at a much slower pace, which results in them covering less material than more advanced students. Low-achieving students tend to be presented with repetitive learning experiences involving more structured materials like worksheets and have fewer choices in activities. They are given fewer chances to engage in discussions and connect materials to personal experiences because the focus of their activities is skill mastery.
Advocates against ability grouping disapprove because it is thought to increase the achievement gap between students over time. Once students are placed in low, medium or high groups, they tend to stay at that level for the rest of their school years. Low-achieving students sometimes feel that teachers and parents have low expectations of them, so they end up being less motivated and making less progress. Using ability grouping in elementary school may also have negative effects on student self esteem. Low achieving students may feel they are labeled as “slow” by teachers and other students, while high-achieving students might lose confidence in their abilities if continuously presented with challenging tasks.