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One of the greatest "controversies" (things that people do not agree on, with strong opinions on each side) in education is the use of "tracking," or putting students on different "educational paths" (the courses and activities that a student participates in) based on their academic "performance" (how well one does in classes or on tests). Many people believe "that there is a time and a place for" (that something is acceptable or beneficial under certain circumstances) educational tracking, but the actual use of it is controversial.

Children "differ" (are not the same) in their "intellect" (how intelligent someone is) and their "academic abilities" (one's abilities to do well in school), so it may seem to "make sense" (be logical or rational) to put the lowest-performing students in one group, and the highest-performing students in another group. This type of grouping allows teachers to "tailor" (customize or adapt to meet certain needs) their "curriculum" (a plan for what should be taught in school) to better meet the needs of their students. But the low-performing groups are often placed on a "vocational" (related to jobs that do not require a college degree) track and the high-performing groups are often placed on a "college track" and encouraged to take "advanced" (more challenging) courses that prepare them for admission to a university.

Many people "object to" (do not like) this type of tracking, because they say it is not fair to place students in a particular track based on their academic performance as children. They state that students develop and change significantly over time, and should not be judged by their earlier performance.

Others object to tracking because they have observed that "low-income" (without very much money) and "minority" (not white) students are much more likely to be placed in vocational tracks, which may be a reflection of teachers' "perceptions" (points of view) than actual student performance.