Procedures that have been developed for switching from a graded to a nongraded pattern of school organization have frequently failed to live up to their expectations. There appears to be a need for more clearly defined procedures and purposeful innovation as distinct from change for its own sake. Nongrading should serve to provide alternative…

This ERIC Digest summarizes Robert E. Slavin's 1986 comprehensive review of research on the different types of ability grouping in elementary schools. Slavin examines evidence on the achievement effects of five comprehensive ability grouping plans in elementary schools: (1) ability grouped classroom assignment; (2) regrouping within grade level…

This annotated bibliography on nongraded schools concentrates on the most recent books, periodicals and other publications. Thirty references are grouped under the headings theoretical, research, and practical. (KM)

A detailed description is provided of the variable, intraorganizational structure (IOS), which is part of the analysis in phase I of the Evaluation of Practices in Individualized Schooling. The variable is defined; the questionnaires on which the variable is based are listed; the procedures used to scale the variable are explained; the…

A SUMMER PROGRAM WAS CONDUCTED TO SERVE AS A MODEL FOR EDUCATORS WHOSE INTEREST LAY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NONGRADED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAM. EDUCATORS FROM APPROXIMATELY 35 PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS WERE INVITED TO OBSERVE THE PROGRAM. THE SCHOOL CONSISTED OF 80 CHILDREN 6 TO 12 YEARS OLD, AND A GROUP OF 20 CHILDREN 5 YEARS OLD. THE EMPHASIS WAS…

A head teacher describes the activity of parents in a parent-staff group that considered such issues as a school sports day and the grouping of students into classes. The school policy group is credited with providing an opportunity for the development of parents' decision-making skills. (MJL)

Two articles present suggestions for enhancing classroom management in creative ways. The first article describes how to use flexible seating arrangements to encourage cooperation, friendship, and community. The second article discusses how to encourage and work with classroom volunteers from the community. (SM)

Class meetings can help prepare students for substitutes. The process might involve explaining the meeting's purpose, sharing feelings about substitutes, imagining class with a substitute, brainstorming ways to help, planning how to implement students' ideas, writing partner biographies for the substitutes, inviting substitutes as guest speakers,…

No morning bell is needed at San Diego's Belle Benchley School, where mixed age groups touch things off spontaneously. (Editor)

Carthay Center Elementary School, an urban school in Los Angeles, developed Individualized Instruction through Open Structure in order to meet the needs of a changing student population. The program attempts to excite children about learning and to reinforce basic academic skills. The child's interest, needs, and abilities are integrated into the…

In British primary schools, it is unusual to find more than one computer in a classroom. As a result, children are assigned to small groups to use the computer. This research reported here sought to explore the characteristics of groupwork with computers and to provide guidance to teachers on computer use issues. This paper summarizes work from…

In recognition of the fact that there are individual differences and preferences among teachers, the teachers at the Las Posas School in Camarillo, California were given the opportunity to use the methods they found most comfortable. This resulted in a variety of open classroom situations, with alternatives for parents, students, and teachers.…

An index of student patterns of item response, when aggregated to the class level, was shown to identify classes that have a poor match between test content and instructional coverage. The mean caution index for a class can best be interpreted knowing the within-class standard deviation of the index. (Author/LMO)

Describes a study conducted to analyze the verbal interactions of children assigned to multiage classrooms. Subjects were children aged 3 to 11 years. (CM)

HETEROGENEOUS MIXTURES OF CHILDREN OCCUR NATURALLY IN PLAY AND IN MANY SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, FOR EXAMPLE, STUDENT COUNCIL MEETINGS, CLUBS, AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS. THESE ACTIVITIES DEMAND THE VARIETY OF AGES, TALENTS, INTERESTS, AND EXPERIENCES REPRESENTED BY THE WHOLE RANGE OF STUDENTS IN A SCHOOL. IT IS QUESTIONED WHETHER ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES WOULD NOT…