Curriculum Differentiation and High School Achievement

This paper links curriculum differentiation in secondary schools to student achievement through instructional, interpersonal, and institutional processes. We argue that these processes operate differently across track and ability group levels. We use the NELS survey to analyze track effects and a longitudinal survey of ability grouping to examine ability group effects on student achievement. The results demonstrate that assignment to the Academic track or a higher level ability group accelerates growth in achievement, while assignment to the Vocational track or a lower level ability group decelerates it. The findings underscore the power of organizational characteristics of schools to differentially affect student learning.