Background on the current status of English and French as a second language (ESL, FSL) and English as a second dialect (ESD) programs in Ontario is provided by questionnaire responses, interviews and a review of pertinent literature. The author concludes that declining enrollment will jeopardize ESL/D and French immersion programs. Reduction in…

This document is a compilation of the responses to an innovations survey form sent to each district and each school administrator in the county. A subject index reflects the variety of innovations reported, and an additional index by school is provided at the end of the compilation. Schools are grouped alphabetically by school district and…

In nongraded, multi-age classrooms, children have the opportunity to learn a great deal from their more proficient classmates. Children in multi-age, nongraded programs often learn that children differ, and they learn to assist each other in productive ways. The organizational scheme has the potential to remove much of the competition of…

In multigrade instruction, children of at least a 2-year grade span and diverse ability levels are grouped in a single classroom and share experiences involving intellectual, academic, and social skills. "The Multigrade Classroom" is a seven-book series that provides an overview of current research on multigrade instruction, identifies…

This book grew out of presentations at the 1997 National Catholic Educational Association convention. "Twelve Reasons Why Small Catholic Schools Are Successful" (Donald F. Novotney) and "Advantages of a Small Catholic School" (Wayne A. Pelzel) focus on the advantages and climate of small schools. "Staffing and Scheduling…

This paper describes a multiage elementary classroom where students can work, learn, and research together. Students ages 6-9 years collaborate on whole-class research inquiries and individual projects. The paper presents examples of these children's work as ethnographers, emphasizing the importance of honoring students' creative abilities. (SM)

In 1993, East Cleveland Schools teamed with Cleveland State University and the Cleveland Foundation to pilot FAST (Families Are Students and Teachers). Kindergartners stay with the same teacher through second grade and benefit from summer enrichment programs and school/home interactions. A strong relationship-oriented program, coupled with…

Discusses the organization and operation of multi-age classrooms in an elementary school in Nevada. Describes how teachers working with primary classrooms of first and second graders, and intermediate classrooms of third, fourth, and fifth graders, created an adaptive, flexible, and dynamic curriculum that could serve the needs of their…

Describes the "workability" of a K/1--kindergarten/first grade--multi-age classroom. (BB)

Examines research findings of the multiage classroom concept and delineates the advantages (higher progress in areas of academia, self-esteem, and socialization skills, as well as development of the teacher/parent relationship) and disadvantages (additional planning/preparation time and difficulties with parents, scheduling, and budget…

A survey of 92 elementary school teachers in northern British Columbia revealed that rural teachers were more positive than urban teachers toward the use of multiage classrooms and that teachers disagreed about their needs for effectively managing such classrooms. Suggests providing teachers of multiage classrooms with inservice opportunities,…

This book is a memoir of one-room school life in 1929. In his day, Cratis D. Williams (1911-85) was America's foremost scholar on the Appalachian experience. This book is the story of his first teaching assignment at age 18 in a one-room K-8 school on Caines Creek in Lawrence County, Kentucky. Williams details his classroom practices and…

A confusing variety of terms is used in discussions of age grouping practices. This digest examines terms that have important implications for teaching and the curriculum. The terms "nongraded" and "ungraded" typically refer to grouping children in classes without grade-level designations and with more than a 1-year age span.…

The English curriculum for grades 10-12 at Kansas High School, a small rural school in Eastern Illinois, consists of mini-courses with an enrollment of 7-20 students. Students must pass the ninth grade English course before they are permitted to register for mini-courses; they are required to take English as sophomores and juniors. During this…

This issue contains 12 articles written by teachers who have investigated various aspects of the multilevel question in their own classrooms. "The Multilevel Question" (Lenore Balliro) provides an introduction. "Deconstructing the Great Wall of Print" (Richard Goldberg) investigates reading strategies that allow students with a wide range of…