This article investigates the impact of assigning poor-prognosis first-grade students to separate transition rooms, and contrasts it with giving similar children (transition eligible) regular instructional settings and under an individualized program, the New Reading System. (Author/CP)

Presents the results of a case study which looked at the mathematics classroom of one teacher trying to teach mathematics with meaning to pupils or lower ability at the secondary level. Contrasts methods of teaching linear equations to a variety of ability levels and uses the Pirie-Kieren model to account for the successful growth in understanding…

Used questionnaire to investigate third-, fourth-, and fifth- grade urban, mostly minority, students' perceptions of reading groups. Found that whole-class instruction and working alone were used more frequently than group or pair instruction. Students at all levels of reading ability liked mixed-ability groups and mixed ability pairs the most,…

Describes the University of Texas at El Paso's use of a Spanish placement system that seeks to appropriately place both native and non-native speakers of Spanish in the correct track and level of Spanish courses. (CB)

Best-evidence synthesis was used to review 29 research papers published in English that evaluate the effects of ability grouping on student achievement in secondary schools. Six randomized experiments, 9 matched experiments, and 14 correlational studies were reviewed. Findings do not indicate beneficial effects of ability grouping on achievement.…

After a 16-year absence from the public school classroom, an education professor returned for a semester to teach American history to an eleventh-grade class. He recounts four lessons concerning the need for classroom order, student motivation, teacher efficiency, alternative student grouping arrangements, and student feedback about teaching…

Presents two alternatives to ability grouping--flexible grouping (based on students' level of independence as learners), and cooperative learning groups. Discusses the benefits of cooperative learning, and provides a sample cooperative learning lesson. (MM)

Presents results of a study that used feedback from 231 eighth graders in a computer-based instruction (CBI) science program to examine the effects of interaction cues and ability grouping on class performance, attitudes, instruction time, and interaction behaviors. Results indicate that students who used the cued version of the CBI program…

Analysis of a sample of 1,636 11- to 20-year olds from the Ghana Living Standards Survey showed the following: no strong selectivity bias in the sorting of higher ability children into better schools; indirect effects of improving school quality on student achievement; and repairing classrooms as a cost-effective investment compared to providing…

Explores the content of middle school reforms, focusing on how they diverge from conventional school practices, school norms, and school politics. Argues that norms of community and integration will need to replace many of the competitive, individualistic, and bureaucratic norms embedded in current practice. (Author/PAM)

Analyzes documentary evidence about ability grouping and tracking for educating diverse student populations. The article discusses the historical treatment of individual differences, clarifies why and how schools function at present, presents pros and cons of ability grouping and tracking, and discusses the impact of immigrants on issues of equal…

Discussion of the process involved in information seeking focuses on studies of high school students that were conducted to determine how mental models for a print encyclopedia are adapted to a full-text electronic encyclopedia. Three case studies are analyzed, and recommendations for designers of electronic encyclopedias and instructional…

The relevant debate is not whether students differ but what schools should do about student achievement differences. Some forms of ability grouping may be justifiable, but those who would group students should have the burden of proving its effectiveness, because the negative consequences can be serious. (SLD)

Examines the effects of type of instructional control (learner control versus program control) and program mode (full versus lean) on the achievement, option use, time in the program, and attitudes of higher-ability and lower-ability university students using a computer-delivered instructional program. Discusses implications for instructional…

Demonstrates the usefulness of ability grouping in a "media, writing, and information gathering" course to improve students' writing skills. Notes students improved to the point where the gap in skills between ability groups was eliminated. Finds objective tests of mechanical skills did not predict students' writing ability. Suggests writing…