The Impact of Ability Grouping on Ninth-Grade Algebra Students in an Urban High School

This teacher action research study was conducted in a ninth-grade Algebra I class at Kensington International Business High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Research started February 2010 and concluded at the end of March 2010. The students were divided into two groups at the end of the first semester, passing and failing students. The failing students were required to repeat the first half of Algebra as the passing students continued on with the curriculum. The major participants of this study were the passing ninth-graders. Data collection included student questionnaires, journals, assessment results, teacher observations and interviews. The overall results suggested that reorganizing Algebra I into two different courses, Algebra IA and Algebra IB was beneficial to the high achieving students and teacher.