Recent developments in school tracking practices in Germany: An overview and outlook on future trends

Abstract

Grouping students into different learning groups according to their achievement levels, often referred to as ability grouping or tracking, is an almost universal feature of secondary school structures. Explicit school tracking, i.e., providing different school types according to different levels of ability, is one way to implement ability grouping in school systems. Germany is still considered the prototypical example of explicit school tracking, often in reference to its three-tier structure. However, many are unaware that this structure is hardly present anymore. In recent decades, tracking practices in secondary school structures have been subject to substantial discussion and changes in Germany. As a result, several German states (Länder) have changed their tracking practices and now differ in the extent to which they implement explicit tracking. The article gives an overview of the specific structures of and changes in tracking practices and explores how the system in Germany can be described, both historically and currently. It also gives an outlook on the political and educational implications of these changes.