become greater. Kerckhoff (1993) traced the divergence in students’
achievement over the life course in a British birth cohort, as initial
placements within the school system persisted and had cumulative
effects on student learning.
Theorists have argued that track placement is a major mediat-
ing factor linking students’ backgrounds and academic achievement
(Lee & Bryk, 1988; Kerckhoff, 1995b). Because tracking and the
ensuing differences in achievement in school provide adolescents
with varying levels of skills and opportunities, inequity of track
placement is of great concern, along with its implications for career
outcomes. Equity issues in tracking arise at multiple levels. There
can be inequitable initial access to tracks, inequitable mobility
between tracks, and inequitable opportunities for learning in dif-
ferent tracks (Kubitschek & Hallinan, 1996). We discuss each of
these—inequities in access, mobility, and learning—in turn.
Inequities in Access. Track placement in middle school and high
school is associated with minority status, gender, and socioeconomic
status of parents (Jones, Vanfossen, & Ensminger, 1995; Dauber,
Alexander, & Entwisle, 1996; Gamoran et al., 1995). There is con-
siderable disagreement, however, about whether this reflects sys-
temic bias or whether it is the result of differences in academic
ability and achievements among students at the outset. After taking
into consideration students’ past academic performance and prior
track placements, some studies find that race, class, and gender con-
tinue to influence track or ability group placement (for example,
Kubitschek & Hallinan, 1996; Kerckhoff, 1993), whereas other
studies do not (for example, Dauber, Alexander, & Entwisle, 1996).
Based on their review of the research in this area, Entwisle and
Alexander (1993) conclude that children from families of lower
socioeconomic status do not perform as well in school as those from
more advantaged backgrounds, even in the first grade—a time when
children are launched into achievement trajectories that persist.
Mobility.Hallinan (1996) points out that there is much more mo-
bility in high school between tracks than has been recognized but
A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE 45