Just don't call it tracking

Mike Petrilli on Education Gadfly:

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist—or even a cognitive scientist—to know that kids (and adults) learn best when presented with material that is challenging—neither too easy so as to be boring nor too hard as to be overwhelming. Like Goldilocks, we want it just right. Grouping kids so that instruction can be more closely targeted to their current ability levels helps make teaching and learning more efficient.

Apparently, it takes someone a lot more intelligent than a rocket scientist because it's news to all the guidance counselors and schedulers that I've talked with.