The Scottwood Plan is an instructional and organizational innovation involving block scheduling with extended class periods, increased emphasis on creative arts, teacher specialization, and team planning across subject areas. Participating in the Plan, which was put into operation during the 1970-71 school year at Scottwood Elementary School, were…

Research findings identifying the most effective class size are found to be inconclusive. Some studies have found small classes more effective, others have favored large classes, and some have found no differences in learning effectiveness due to class size. A number of these studies are cited and points of agreement noted. In a second section…

This study determined the effects of using truant and tardy junior high school learning-disabled students as tutors for younger learning-disabled pupils. After six weeks of tutoring, most of the 16 tutors showed a significant increase toward an internal orientation of locus of control and a decrease in truant/tardy behaviors. (Author/JDD)

This report summarizes research literature on multiage classrooms, explaining how they operate, and describes a study of a low-performing, predominantly Native American school district which adopted multiage classrooms as its primary reform strategy. District teachers completed surveys about: planning; collaboration; student groupings and…

This paper describes a Web-based mentor network designed to pair students in rural independent schools with undergraduates at selected liberal arts colleges. It is one of nine central program elements that constitute the Proteus(TM) system, a multimedia technologies architecture that supports distributed collaborations and work undertaken in the…

Discusses classroom application of the concept that the best way to learn something is to explain it to someone else. Science students select basic subject concepts, then develop a brief lecture and a series of demonstrations and hands-on activities to explain those concepts to younger audiences. Students present their teacher-approved units to…

Investigated the efficacy of two related reciprocal teaching interventions--with cooperative grouping or with cross-age tutoring--on the reading comprehension of learning disabled English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students. Found no significant difference between the two groups: both made comprehension gains and continued to improved when…

This article describes a federally funded model self-determination project for students with severe emotional disabilities/behavioral disorders (SED/BD). The project promotes self-determination through instruction in problem solving, self-assertiveness, and self-management skills, and utilizes cross-age peer tutoring involving college students…

Cross-age projects allow elementary and secondary school students to break out of their traditional roles and explore what it means to listen, collaborate, and lead. The 4 projects described include story and guidebook writing, interviewing senior citizens in person and through telecommunications and writing biographies, and elementary school…

A university-based researcher and a grade seven teacher collaborated to plan a science curriculum that would help elementary school students discover the world of salmon and understand its life cycle. Describes key components of the salmon-enhancement program and river-health project. A student's record of hatching chum fry in the classroom is…

Describes an affordable and effective program to improve the reading and literacy skills of struggling high school readers. Describes and discusses components of the program including tailor-made assignments for each student, the use of community volunteer and peer tutors, and regular opportunities for the students to read to elementary school…

In a rural Ontario high school, students can spend a semester in the Environmental Studies Program, which features holistic outdoor experiences and high school students teaching elementary students outdoors. Post-course surveys revealed positive student attitudes toward the course and major themes of experiential learning, interpersonal skills…

This guidebook integrates basic strategies for developing a multiage-classroom design. The book begins by describing developmentally appropriate practice (DAP), which is based on a curriculum and an instructional-delivery methodology that address the physical, social, intellectual, emotional, and aesthetic needs of young students. Students are…

This theme issue focuses on motivating young people to learn by providing leadership opportunities in school. "Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program: Assessing Progress" (Josie Danini Supik) examines the program's success. This program, which trains high-risk middle and high school students as tutors of younger children, has dramatically…

This practicum addressed the self-concept and self-esteem problems of 10 upper elementary grade students with learning disabilities through development, implementation, and evaluation of a group counseling program. The program involved educating students about their learning disabilities as well as using counseling strategies which stressed…