Helping students to understand complex processes is one of the core challenges in teaching biology courses. Concept mapping is a flexible pedagogical method that enables students to learn the complexities of a given subject while at the same time being versatile enough that instructors can easily pivot between instructional modalities and/or…

The purpose of this archival quantitative research study was to investigate the effects of relative age and eligibility for special education through third grade. This study further examined relative age as it related to gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and multilingual learner status on eligibility for special education under the…

For decades the field of early childhood education has experienced an identity crisis. Theoretical ideologies of early childhood pioneers have provided the foundation for understanding young children's development and the use of DAP for typically and atypically developing children. However, in the context of the systematic structure of general…

This study examined the influence of grouping formation on the scores on the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK 3) in Grade 3 English Language Arts. Grouping within the general education classroom was compared to grouping between the same grade level. The analysis included a multiple regression model for student variables gender,…

For over thirty years, research has been conducted on the relative benefits of integrating the sixth through eighth grades within the structure of the K-8 elementary school or of establishing a freestanding middle school structure. While the available research clearly supports the positive effects of the K-8 structure on academic achievement in…

Recent literature casts unfavorable light upon the middle school as the most appropriate grade configuration in which to effectively educate young adolescents. The current criticism of middle schools may be fueled, in part, by "A Nation at Risk," the "No Child Left Behind Act," and a growing subsequent emphasis on…

ONE MAJOR PROBLEM IN EDUCATION HAS BEEN TO FIND A METHOD FOR CLASSIFYING STUDENTS THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE GREATEST POSSIBLE GAINS FOR THE STUDENTS AND FACILITATE THE BEST TEACHING TECHNIQUES. EDUCATORS SEEKING ANSWERS TO THIS PROBLEM HAVE EXPERIMENTED WITH DIVIDING CLASSES INTO GROUPS OF A MORE HOMOGENEOUS NATURE, USUALLY ON THE BASIS OF…

Described in the supplemental manual are representative materials developed in New Jersey for use by educational planners when setting up resource room programs to mainstream handicapped children. Suggested materials are grouped within eight color-coded sections that cover the following topics: public relations and communications; staff and…

A 2-week study was conducted to determine what effect the practice of cooperative learning had on the rote memorization of 51 prepositions in ninth-grade English classrooms. One class of 15 students acted as a control group, memorizing the prepositions independently, in a traditional setting. Another class of 15 students acted as the experimental…

Surveyed were the program planning processes employed by 40 New Jersey schools in establishing resource rooms as alternatives to self-contained special classes for handicapped children. Responses to questionnaire items indicated that a majority of the schools surveyed did not formally evaluate their previous self-contained program to determine its…

Project LEM (Learning Experience Module), funded under Title III, Elementary Secondary Education Act, incorporates concepts of an open elementary educational plan, featuring: multi-age, multi-ethnic groupings, individually prescribed instructions, a "core" curriculum, differentiated staffing, and maximum space utilization. These…

The manual explains how to plan, implement, and evaluate an alternative learning resource center approach to mainstreaming for elementary school students classified as educable mentally retarded, perceptually impaired, or neurologically impaired. (It is noted that a 3-year learning center demonstration project, funded under Title III, was…

The manual contains a survey of literature on the resource room approach to mainstreaming for educable mentally retarded children. Intended to facilitate educational planning in New Jersey, the manual reviews research on such topics as the historical development of special education services; admissions procedures; the impact of judicial decisions…

In December 1968, Teachers College, Columbia University and the Board of Education in Plainfield, New Jersey initiated a study of the policies and procedures concerning student grouping in the Plainfield School System. As the study proceeded, however, an effort was made to examine other aspects of the operation of the schools which related to the…

Many school systems have so much difficulty when it comes to educating students between the ages of 12 and 15. There seems to be perennial dissatisfaction with how public schools educate these "young adolescents." The grade configurations of schools varied, but the dominant pattern was eight years of primary school followed by four years…