This longitudinal quantitative study compared literacy achievement of students from second through sixth grade based on two organizational systems: graded (traditional) and nongraded (multiage) classrooms. The California Standards Test (CST) scaled and proficiency scores for English-Language Arts (ELA) were used as the study's independent variable…

The number of multiage educational programs in the United States is relatively small, though they are very popular in many other countries. This paper presents arguments in favor of multiage groupings (e.g., student-teacher continuity, alternatives for special needs students, and viable alternatives to retention), offering advice from the…

Described is a nongraded, multi-aged program developed at John Campbell School in Selah, Washington. The program is intended to bridge the development gap between kindergarten and second grade. (SI)

The graded self-contained classrooom can be a negative influence on student and teacher development. Teachers and students should work together in collaborative relationships and in environments featuring nongradedness, multiaged pupil groups, and flexible shared space. (MD)

In Kentucky, nongraded primary education became a reality under the mandate of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) in 1990. Research has produced some anecdotal information on the degree to which schools have implemented the ungraded primary program, but there has been no research to link the implementation of the primary program to student…

How it works and its advantages in British primary schools; emphasis on the family grouping'', with older and younger students together and students staying with one teacher for several years. (SP)

This handbook examines practices and issues involved in the implementation of multiage programs. Data were collected through site visits at four schools with reputations for excellent multiage programs; interviews with a representative sample of parents and teachers at each school; document analysis; a survey of multiage teachers, parents, and…

Queried 571 elementary school principals in 12 states to determine: (1) the frequency of nontraditional (combination and nongraded) classes; and (2) changes in the use of combination classes during recent years. Found that although combination classes represented 17% of California classrooms, most states contained only 3 to 7%. Nongraded classes…

States that the concept of nongraded classrooms has flourished in educational circles since the days of the one-room schoolhouse, and that researchers have found that students in multiage classrooms form peer relationships that show more advanced socialization skills. Offers an annotated bibliography of 12 articles from the ERIC database on the…

Investigates impact of a nongraded instructional organization on the reading/language development of 117 kindergarten through second graders--61 in 3 nongraded classrooms, 56 in 3 graded classrooms. Uses a pretest-posttest control group design. Indicates no significant differences between the groups on any measures. Suggests findings are important…

The major underlying concepts used in developing this Collaborative Teaching Program for intermediate grade level students included the heterogeneous grouping of pupils in a community of learners, the use of quality circle management, and the appropriate use of teaching strategies geared toward the major modes of learning. The community of…

Using results of a best-evidence synthesis and a meta-analysis of an extensive international database, it is argued that there is no empirical evidence at the moment showing that student learning suffers in combination classes. No support is found for the selection bias suggested by D. Mason and R. Burns (1997). (SLD)

S. Veenman argues that his reviews of the literature lead to the conclusion that combination classes are neither worse nor better than single-grade classes. This rejoinder discusses disagreements with Veenman's findings, which are hampered by a narrow reading and interpretation of the literature on potential positive effects of combination…

Research on combination classes, in which students from two or more grades are placed with one teacher for most or all of the school day, is reviewed. Consistent research findings are that combination classes, distinguished from multiage/nongraded classes, have at least a small negative effect on student achievement. (SLD)

This document reports on the 1991-92 Teacher Recognition Program honoring exceptional teachers from rural and small schools in the New England states, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The program was intended to enrich the quality of education in the Northeast United States and its Caribbean jurisdictions by sharing information about…