Examined the class formation procedures used in 22 elementary schools from two districts and the influence these procedures had on the composition of 200 classes, 56 of which were combination classes of students from two grade levels. Principals tended to assign higher ability and more independent students to combination classes to ease teacher…

Examined the class distributional properties of 200 elementary school classes in 2 school districts. Fifty-six classes were combination classes of students from 2 grades. Principals and teachers tended to assign higher ability and more independent students to such classes, and these assignments affected the class distributional properties.…

The effects of interpersonal cooperation, competition, and individualistic efforts were compared on a categorization and retrieval, a spatial-reasoning, and a verbal problem-solving task. Forty-five first-grade children were stratified on the basis of sex and ability. Students in the cooperative condition achieved best. (Author/CTM)

Eight highly structured fifth- and sixth-grade classrooms were compared with seven less structured classrooms with respect to the degree to which teachers', classmates', and self ratings of ability to read were in agreement. It was suggested that classroom structures may effect perceptions of ability. (CTM)

Data from 136 junior high school classes were analyzed to investigate how student behavior, student achievement, and teacher behavior all related to student ability levels in class composition. Both higher ability students and lower ability students achieved better in higher ability classes. Class composition had more impact on lower ability…

A whole-class model providing for student diversity through remediation and enrichment in small groups was compared with a two-group model accommodating diversity through fixed within-class ability groups. Higher mathematics achievement was found for the whole-class model in a study of 1,736 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. (SLD)