What did the Hobson v. Hansen case determine about educational tracking systems?

The decision in the Hobson v. Hansen case specifically addressed the issues surrounding educational tracking systems and their implications for students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The court ruled that placing students into different educational tracks based predominantly on intelligence test scores was discriminatory, particularly when those scores reflected socioeconomic factors rather than an individual's true capabilities.

This ruling emphasized the idea that such tracking systems disproportionately affected minority and low-income students, often leading to lower educational opportunities and outcomes for those groups. Therefore, the court found that without proper safeguards to ensure fairness and equity, using intelligence scores as a primary basis for educational tracking violated principles of equal protection under the law, making it unconstitutional. This case has become a crucial reference point in discussions about equitable education and the effects of systemic bias in educational practices.