Dhagat 1

Sandeep Dhagat
Professor Suk
EDUC 230-01 Education Field Experience
Fall 2017
Rationale Statement-Standard #11

Standard Eleven: Ethical Practice

Teachers shall act in accordance with legal and ethical responsibilities and shall use integrity and
fairness to promote the success of all students. (NJ Professional Standards for Teachers, 2014, p. 14).

Artifact: Current Trends Facilitation

Date of Completion: October 19th, 2017 (revised December 12th, 2017) (Fall 2017)
Course Completed in: EDUC-230 Education Field Experience

Rationale Statement:
The current trends facilitation involved researching a relevant education topic, creating a
research paper that analyzed both scholarly sources and individual experiences with the topic,
presenting the content to our peers, and facilitating an in-class discussion. My facilitation analyzed how
tracking and ability grouping perpetuate academic inequality, especially among racial minorities and
low-SES groups. I considered the historical origin of tracking, research studies analyzing its impact, and
examined my own experiences with tracking before taking a position on the topic. This artifact best
evidences my desire to reflect on personal biases and access resources to deepen [my] own
understanding of cultural, ethnic, gender, and learning differences to build stronger relationships
and create more relevant learning experiences (NJ Professional Standards for Teachers 11.i.1, 2014,
p. 14). By evaluating how I personally benefited from a practice I concluded was blatantly unequitable, I
actively challenged my own privilege. In addition, I tried to settle the disequilibrium caused by that
realization by considering how I could advocate for students affected negatively by tracking. Lastly, I
argue that removing tracking creates heterogenous, mixed-ability classrooms that align with the
professions objectives and better reflect the diversity of the real world.
The event that inspired my current trend facilitation choice was the recent decision by my
school district to introduce a new STEM pathway in high school. The program is being restricted to only
60 students per graduating class who would be chosen by a selection committee using a variety of
academic measures. My initial concern as a former student was that the program would be
overrepresented by Asian and male students, the groups that have the least to gain from a STEM
program. However, it was clear the administration and BOE had no desire to explicitly recruit female and
underrepresented minority students for the program. In addition, I disagreed with the practice of
restricting the courses to only 80 students. If individuals have a genuine interest in the course, they
should be given the freedom to take it. It would be fundamentally wrong to spend taxpayer education
dollars on new courses that only a small fraction of the student body would be privileged to take. I also
worry that it would just reinforce already exceptional college STEM candidates, while depriving students
trying to figure out their career path the opportunity to explore potential choices. This helped to frame
my consideration of how tracking plays out in schools where the student body is more diverse and the
district is less affluent.
 Dhagat 2

I would use this artifact as an appendix to my philosophy of teaching to highlight my belief

about the practice. I would also use it in a job interview to ask prospective employers how they use
tracking in their school, how they mitigate concerns about racial disparities in upper classes, and how
they work to promote a school culture that does not racialize academic achievement. I would also use it
as an educational tool for colleagues, administrators, and parents who may be reluctant to give up on
such an ingrained and long-standing organizing practice. This is important because I note in my essay
that it will take a significant amount of educating individuals to reverse 100 years of poor pedagogy and
institutional practice.

Reference

Professional Development in New Jersey. (2014, August 4). Retrieved from New Jersey State Department
of Education:
http://www.state.nj.us/education/profdev/profstand/teacherstandardscrosswalk.pdf