Full disclosure: I am a child of the honors track. Among my group of friends, being in a parallel class meant that you either didnt measure up or you didnt measure up. I didnt know any other way. I first read Jeannie Oakes Keeping Track when I was getting my Masters degree (the first time through TC), and I realized there was an alternative to the way I had been taught. At Beacon, I have been able to experience to the benefits of teaching in heterogeneous classroom, not just to do smartest kids.