To evaluate the Follow Through portion of the Planned Variation program (1967-1970) eight distinct approaches were studied. The approaches rest on differing philosophical and psychological premises and employ a variety of pedagogical strategies. A battery of 14 existing and specially developed measures were used to cover the cognitive area.…

This paper discusses negative consequences for students placed in low ability classes and presents some alternative grouping and instructional practices which have been proven effective in heterogeneous classrooms. (LMO)

Cooperative learning fosters better student achievement than individualistic methods, increases cross-ethnic friendships, improves students' self-esteem, and creates positive attitudes toward other students and the school. Cooperative learning requires a period of adjustment on the part of teachers and pupils. Six cooperative learning techniques…

Examines the effects of school types and ability grouping within school types on individual student performance. Results demonstrate that students in high ability groups gain more and students in low ability groups gain less over a five-year period than they would be expected had they not been separated into ability groups. (Author/PS)

This article presents a meta-analysis of studies of the effects of special homogeneous classes versus regular heterogeneous classes on achievement and nonachievement outcomes of gifted students. The principal findings indicate that the gifted students in special classes achieved more than their gifted counterparts in regular classes. (Author/IAH)

A model of the teaching-learning process identifies and describes varied behavioral dimensions of the classroom and how they relate to pupil achievement. The model is based on the assumption that the total amount of engaged time on a particular topic is the most important determinant of achievement and has the components of: (1) quantity of…

AN EVALUATION AND OBJECTIVE COMPARISON WAS MADE BETWEEN THE PROGRESS OF YOUNG MENTAL RETARDATES IN REGULAR CLASSROOMS WITH THE PROGRESS OF PEERS IN SPECIAL CLASSES. THE BASIS OF COMPARISON OF THE TWO TEACHING METHODS INCLUDED MENTAL DEVELOPMENT, PROGRESS IN REGULAR SCHOOL SUBJECTS, ACHIEVEMENT TOWARD OTHER EDUCATIONAL GOALS, SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT…

Describes the background, goals, and classroom experience of the cooperative learning program initiated in Fall 1986 by the Bay Shore Union Free School District, Bay Shore, NY. Results indicate cooperative learning is effective in narrowing the margin between the achievement of minority and majority students. (PS)

Problem areas with the curriculum at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Rutgers Medical School were identified: imbalance in class hours in the academic schedule, excessive number of lectures, and need for more small group sessions during the basic science education. (MLW)

This study addresses the issue of how different school organizational patterns affect the academic learning of students of different backgrounds and abilities. Using data from the Pennsylvania Educational Quality Assessment (EQA) on approximately 8,000 sixth-grade students in elementary and middle schools, the study examines how instructional…

Designed as a comprehensive district-wide elementary education program, the Directed Learning Program, funded under Title I of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, is meant to encourage learning at an individual rate related to achievement ability rather than to age. The basic for instruction is the home base group in which students…

Employs data from 94 elementary schools to examine the prevalence and effects of resegregation. Reports that (1) positive attitudes toward integration influence teachers' selection of grouping practices that promote student interaction; and (2) less resegregative classroom structures are more advantageous for Black students' achievement. (KH)

This study compared the effects of multi-age classroom strategies to those of traditional classroom strategies on the academic achievement of fourth grade students in reading and math. Standardized test scores from 20 fourth-grade students in two multi-age third- and fourth-grade classrooms were compared to the scores of 20 students from 7…

It has been noted that students have an influential role in determining the nature of classroom events in the middle grades and that their teachers adjust their classroom behavior in response to the characteristics of students in the class. This paper analyzes instruction as discourse between teacher and students and the collaborative nature of…

An overview of research on elementary secondary classroom teaching presents a synthesis of findings from large-scale, classroom-based studies on teacher effectiveness. Three sets of major research efforts, dealing with classroom management and organization, systematic instruction, and effective instruction, were selected for review. Certain…