(WARNING: Longish yet informative post ahead. And kind of scientific if you're into that sort of thing.)
Did you know that most marathons have a staggered start? Your race bib is color coded according to the "corral" (or wave) you're placed in. Each corral contains perhaps several hundred runners waiting for the gun to go off.
Arranging runners according to ability solves a number of problems for racers. Several things are avoided. The pushing at the start of the race. The claustrophobic feeling of being crushed by your fellow runners, all of whom are jostling for a better position. The inability to settle into your individual pace. Slow runners (like me) up front are a disaster. The amount of elbowing before you even reach the starting line can be unbelievable.
Sometimes it takes 40 minutes for all the corrals to be released, but it's the fairest way of doing things. Up ahead are runners who are faster than you. Those behind you are presumably slower. You rarely pass (or are passed) when races have staggered starts. After a mile or two you are usually with people you'll be near right up to the finish.
You achieve the benefit of participating in a big race and yet retaining the wonderful feeling of staying relatively small. For example, the Marine Corps Marathon in DC is the third largest marathon in the U.S. (behind the New York City and Chicago Marathons). Approximately 40,000 runners finish the race each year. However, the staggered wave system successfully breaks the massive crowd down into manageable, less intimidating groups.
I sometimes think we need ability grouping in education. This would enable teachers to focus on specific needs of students with the same ability level. Instruction would be tailored to match the students' learning pace and style. Clearly, gifted students would progress more quickly through the curriculum. They would likely be less bored or disengaged alongside peers of similar ability.
The cons are just as obvious, however. Students in the lower group face stigma. They may receive a less challenging curriculum. This in turn could lead to low expectations and reduced motivation. In 5 decades of teaching, all of my classes have been mixed-ability. Students aren't grouped based on their academic performance. Instead, classes combine students of varying skill levels.
I prefer this approach over ability grouping as it promotes collaboration and inclusivity. For me as a teacher, this means, in essence, that I have to roll the ball down the middle and hit as many pins as I can. Students who are lagging behind are encouraged to "move up," while high-achieving students are warned against a sense of superiority.
I guard myself very carefully against the unequal distribution of resources and attention. I am to narrow, not widen, the achievement gap. This approach allows students to understand both their strengths and the areas up for improvement, hopefully equipping them with skills that are invaluable beyond the classroom.
Bottom line? Everyone is welcome in my classes.
