National Collegiate Honors Council
Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council Online Archive
Date of this Version
2024
Document Type
Article
Citation
Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council (2024) 25(1): 123–56
Abstract
Many of the variables that determine college admission are beyond a student’s control, including the academic track they were assigned as early as primary school, a practice often referred to as “ability grouping” or constructing “skills-homogeneous” classes. Even in higher education, students feel the effects of unequal sorting and sifting from tracking. The purpose of this study was to learn from marginalized community college students placed in low- and middle-track courses in high school how taking honors courses for the first time shaped their perceptions of their identities. Data were gathered from a single cohort at a midwestern community college through a two-part interview and digital diary recordings from six participants who self-identified as socially marginalized. Results show that low- and middle-track placement in high school has negative effects on a student’s self-confidence and mental health into adulthood. Findings reveal that educators’ behaviors and peer-to-peer interactions are negatively influenced by low-track placement. Respondents reported that while labels and stereotypes assigned to academic tracks continue in community college, honors enrollment improves a student’s self-confidence.
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