This article systematically reviews research on the achievement outcomes of three types of classroom approaches to improving the reading achievement of students in grades 2-5: Reading curricula, computer-assisted instruction (CAI), and instructional process programs. Study inclusion criteria included use of randomized or matched control groups,…

Research effects on achievement of nongraded elementary school organization is reviewed. Nongraded organization can have a positive impact on student achievement if cross-age grouping is used to allow teachers to provide more direct instruction to students but not if it is used as a framework for individualized instruction. (SLD)

Defending his conclusions, the author argues that the data reviewed tell much about ability grouping. (SLD)

Describes a program initiated in a Baltimore (Maryland) elementary school intended to test the limits of the principle that all children can learn. Presents results indicating that the program had positive effects on the language skills of preschoolers and kindergartners and on the reading skills of students in grades one through three. (MW)

This article reviews research on the achievement outcomes of three types of approaches to improving elementary mathematics: Mathematics curricula, computer-assisted instruction (CAI), and instructional process programs. Study inclusion requirements included use of a randomized or matched control group, a study duration of 12 weeks, and achievement…

This study evaluated the achievement effects of the Team-Assisted Individualization (TAI) mathematics program over a 24-week period. Involved were 1,317 students in grades 3, 4, and 5, with 700 students in 31 classes receiving TAI instruction and a control group of 617 students in 30 classes receiving other mathematics instruction on the same…

First-year outcomes are reported for Success for All--a program designed to bring all children to grade level in basic skills by the third grade. The program uses one-to-one tutoring, reading methods, frequent assessment, enhanced preschool and kindergarten programs, family support, and other interventions to prevent learning problems from…

Described is a teaching approach that applies principles of cooperative learning to an individualized program for learning mathematics in grades 3-6. The program, Team Assisted Individualization, has several important elements including student teams, a placement test, curriculum materials, the team-study method, team scores and team recognition,…

This paper describes the second year of the Success for All program, which tries to assure that each student in an inner-city school succeeds in acquiring basic skills in the early grades. The program was first implemented in the 1987-88 school year in Abbottson Elementary School in Baltimore. First year results revealed substantially higher…

Describes two studies investigating the effects of Team-Assisted Individualization (TAI), a combination of cooperative learning and individually programed instruction, on third-, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students' achievement, attitudes, and behaviors. Results indicated that the TAI approach had positive effects on mathematics achievement,…

The Team-Assisted Individualization (TAI) mathematics program has been developed in an attempt to make individualized instruction workable in the classroom by adding components of cooperative learning. This paper presents the rationale for the development of TAI and describes results of three field experiments conducted to assess the effect of TAI…

Success for All, a comprehensive schoolwide reform program for elementary schools serving many children placed at risk of school failure, was first piloted in one Baltimore (Maryland) elementary school in the 1987-88 school year. Since then, the program has expanded rapidly; as of 1998-99, it was in more than 1,100 schools in 300 districts in 44…

This report reviews research on the effects of between- and within-class ability grouping on the achievement of elementary school students. The review technique, known as "best-evidence synthesis," combines features of meta-analytic and narrative reviews. Overall, evidence does not support assignment of students to self-contained classes…

States that the combination of group rewards (based on group members' individual learning) and peer interaction on learning tasks is necessary to produce learning gains characteristic of effective cooperative learning methods. Discusses research on group contingencies and cooperative learning in the elementary school classroom.(NH)

This study reports the results of a best-evidence synthesis of research on the use of one-to-one tutoring delivered by adults to students in the primary grades who are learning to read. The synthesis includes research on five programs: Reading Recovery, Success for All, Prevention of Learning Disabilities, the Wallach Tutorial Program, and…