This is true, and in my opinion (and I am not a teacher but my no pics wife is so I do get her perspective) it started with the "No Child Left Behind." Until special ed kids are put back in special ed classes and behavior disorder kids are put in behavior disorder rooms, and TAG kids are put together in TAG classes (or if there aren't enough, at least with higher end students), I don't see it improving. Now in almost all classes, my wife has all of these together. Sometimes she will have a para or two (often assigned to just one student, but sometimes just there for a group of special ed kids). But how does one teacher bring the special ed kids along, challenge the TAG/high end kids, deal with behavior disorder kids, and challenge/teach for the B/C type kids, not to mention the ones that don't care. The end result often seems to be bringing everyone down. This is middle school, so in high school there are certainly college prep classes, etc.