Efforts at one high school to reconsider its practices of ability grouping and explore alternative assessment and grouping practices are described. Assessment of the schools' practices found that students in lower ability groups had a less stimulating curriculum, fewer positive role models, lower motivation, lower expectations for themselves, and…

Studies from several countries are described in this review of literature pertinent to assigning day care children to multi-age or homogeneous age groups. Three issues are discussed in this regard: (1) What difference does it make how one groups children? The answer is that a profound difference to children, staff, and parents may occur in terms…

In this comprehensive review, important studies from the literature relevant to the impact of ability grouping on students are summarized. The following are considered: the effect of heterogeneous and homogeneous grouping practices on academic achievement and affective development; the tendency of ability grouping to produce separation of students…

This paper addresses issues in the relationship of instructional grouping to both educational excellence and equity. First, equity issues are considered in light of two court cases: Hobson v. Hansen and Marshall v. Georgia which, together, offer guidelines for equitable ability grouping. Next, the research on the effects of grouping arrangements…

To investigate the effect of heterogeneous and homogeneous instructional groupings used in a middle school eighth grade on selected student behaviors, 120 students were assigned to a heterogeneous group and 120 students to a homogeneous group based on several factors. The heterogeneous group was comprised of all students enrolled in the school…

This study examined the effects of instructional control and aptitude composition on performance, interaction, and attitudes during a computer-based cooperative science lesson. A sample of 152 fifth and sixth grade students completed the instruction either under the learner control (LC) or the program control (PC) treatment. In the LC treatment,…

With new knowledge and tools at their disposal, educators at all levels are exploring alternatives to ability grouping in order to improve schooling for all students. Bringing about positive results requires the development and utilization of knowledge about how ability grouping affects schools, exploration of beliefs that support grouping, and…

Nongraded education is the practice of teaching children of different ages and ability levels together in the same classroom, without dividing them or the curriculum into steps labeled by "grade" designations. Children progress along the continuum from easier to more difficult material at their own, varying rates of speed. Interest in nongraded…

This book provides parents with guidelines on how to determine if their children are unusually gifted and how to prepare them for school. Recommendations are provided to ensure that gifted children are sufficiently challenged in the classroom, while reducing emotional stresses to which intellectually gifted children are often prone. Specific…

This document reviews information and research findings regarding various options to facilitate the full inclusion of students with disabilities. Principles of inclusive schools introduce the document. Three categories of strategies and interventions for working with students with disabilities are included: (1) program strategies, (2) classroom…

This paper reports studies investigating the effects over time of age and social class grouping in infant day care on the psycho-social development of low socioeconomic status children (primarily black). Adult-child and child-child interactions were assessed in four different types of day care groupings: homogeneous x hetergeneous, age x social…

A study investigated the instructional effectiveness of Autotutor, an interactive video program developed at Trinity College (Ireland), based on its ability to create an environment promoting learner interaction in a second language. Six students in three monolingual pairs (Japanese, Korean, Spanish) were filmed and recorded using the business…

This collection of short articles--summaries of materials presented at an October 1981 seminar--focuses on the probable impact of tuition tax credits. An introductory article summarizes arguments for and against. The second pair of articles present highlights of a debate between Chester Finn and Albert Shanker. In addition, 15 brief articles look…

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of multiage and homogeneous age methods of grouping pupils for classroom instruction in the primary department of Beaverbrook Elementary School in Griffin, Georgia. Results were expected to aid the staff in developing a more comprehensive and functional nongraded school. The controlled variable…

This 3-year study compared characteristics of high ability students who were identified as high achievers with students of similar ability who underachieved in school. The 35 students attended a large urban high school comprised of 60 percent Puerto Rican students, 20 percent African American, and the remainder White, Asian, and other. Qualitative…