This monograph reviews literature on school and class size for its relevance to the concerns of CREATE [Consortium for Research on Educational Access, Transitions and Equity]. It estimates the numbers of small schools and numbers of children learning in small schools worldwide. It assesses the implications of school size, large and small, for…

Finds that, among 418 students in 8 New Brunswick (Canada) elementary schools, students in multigrade classes and matched peers in single grades 1-5 did not differ significantly in grade points or total achievement test scores. Reports that 27 of 34 teachers surveyed preferred teaching single grade classes. (SV)

Multigrade schooling is a strategy to increase the educational opportunities of children in situations where it is impractical to have one primary school teacher per grade because of the limited size of the student population. In a multigrade school, teachers manage two or more classes simultaneously. A single teacher may be responsible for all…

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 position paper focuses on issues related to equal education in small, rural schools in Sweden. Specifically, the report analyzes national statistics, reports from the National Agency for Education, and other research regarding the status of education in Sweden. Data indicate that for the 1994-95 school year, two-thirds of the schools in…

The single-grade model of education, based on the division of labor in industry, has come to dominate the school, class, and curriculum organization used by central authorities. Although the multi-grade model is common in developing countries and in rural areas of industrialized countries, the knowledge required for effective multi-grade teaching…

The TeleLearning and Rural Education Centre was established in January 1997 at Memorial University of Newfoundland, in one of the most sparsely populated and economically depressed areas of Canada. Of 462 schools in Newfoundland and Labrador, 66 percent are rural and over half have enrollments of under 200 students. The Centre was established to…

This work examines ways central and regional education ministries can influence practices at the school level. Chapter 1, "Changing What Happens in Schools: Central-Level Initiatives to Improve School Practice," reviews common themes, concerns, problems, and emphases. Chapter 2, "Knowledge Utilization and the Process of Policy…

Presents the findings of a six-year staff development program for multigrade teachers. Discovers a significant increase in the time on task levels of the pupils and the instructional and classroom management skills of the teachers. Discusses the implications of, and problems with, the study. (MJP)