Dear Future President,

I imagine as a kid you were a very gifted and talented student. Many more students are being placed in the accelerated learning programs each year. As I was reading an article called, “Grouping Students by Ability Regains Favor in Classroom,” it showed the perks of separating the students by learning pace. It also shows when this act goes into play, grades go up and so do self-esteem levels. Placing advanced learners with standard learners stifles their creativity and puts a proverbial box on the students.

As a young student, I would be pulled out of my classes to participate, with others in advanced placement, in a higher level working environment. All throughout elementary school this would occur. As I entered middle school, I expected it to be in classes with students who were just as advanced or more advanced than I was, but I was still included with the standard learners. They integrated our classrooms. Teachers and principals stated that grouping students based on learning ability put segregation in the classroom, and puts the wrong image in students' minds. In my eyes, I don’t, and wouldn’t see segregation amongst my peers. Placing gifted learners with standard learners slows down the gifted students and also puts a limit on the students' abilities.

When gifted students are placed with other gifted students, the material is quicker learned and more efficient. 78% of gifted learners agree that an all-gifted class is more productive and has an intense learning environment. By hearing other cutting-edge responses from their peers, a student is more likely to comprehend that topic more efficiently. This is called the peer effect. Certain students can learn better when it is taught to them by another student rather than the teacher.

I ask you to support no more integrated classes. Putting students of different learning levels puts limits on creativity, adaptability, critical reasoning, learning pace, and collaboration on certain students. Separating classes by learning ability would greatly increase grades, increase the amount of students wanting to go to college, and increasing the amount of youth who are comfortable with their abilities and strengths. We want to build a nation of exceptional learners to strengthen the education systems and make our future generations excel to level and standards that have not been achieved in the past. A law stating that all advanced learners should be grouped, tested, and taught together would cause drastic changes for a start. This letter and topic mean a lot to me, and the creation of a law would change the ways millions of educators and students see and understand learning.

Thank you for your time.

-Nicole H