There are many advantages and disadvantages to ability grouping all students, particularly the gifted students.
As a middle school self-contained teacher, I have seen first hand the advantages of ability grouping students. My students receive instruction on their level and complete assignments and activities that they are comfortable with and are successfully able to do. Not only does this help assist the student to be successful at their level but also provides a level of confidence for them. I believe that for gifted students, ability grouping can catapult them to new academic heights because they too will be working at their level. Through this they will feel confident in their abilities to solve higher level thinking skills and may move through concepts quicker than another classes. I also see gifted students being challenged by other gifted students in the same classroom, whereas that may not be the case in a heterogeneous classroom.
However, I also see the disadvantages of ability grouping for all students. Again, as a teacher of self-contained students, I have had students successfully mainstreamed into regular education classrooms and pushed academically. The regular classroom was more difficult for them, but they were exposed to grade level standards and expectations and their scores usually improved. I believe that the same could be said of gifted students. Even though they are academically or artistically gifted, exposure to other students would have its advantages. I can see this benefiting the gifted students more so socially. Many gifted students would benefit from socialization with nongifted peers as opposed to homogeneously grouping. Many gifted students would also benefit from being in a leadership role in the heterogeneous classroom. Some of these students would shine in the regular education classroom, whereas in the "gifted" classroom they are just an average students.
All of these are valid points to consider when discussing ability grouping gifted students.
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