A "best evidence" review synthesis, which incorporates features of meta-analytic and traditional literature reviews, is used in this review of studies on the effects of ability grouping on secondary school students' achievement. The focus was on 29 studies that compared between-class ability grouping to heterogeneous placements. Effect sizes were…

Academic tracking, one of the most enduring and controversial educational practices, is directly implicated as a link among education, future technical/occupational skill, and the welfare of the U.S. national economy. Tracking's most controversial feature is the potentially harmful effects of bad placement decisions based on such nonacademic…

The practice of grouping children of similar ability for reading instruction is as much a part of the classroom as the chalkboard, yet for decades research into classroom practice has raised serious questions about ability grouping. A research project using the meta-analysis approach to analyze more than 50 research studies concluded that ability…

This book provides the teacher with a framework for assessing children's potential to learn, taking into account cognitive skills, specifically similarity thinking skills, as well as the emotional status of children, particularly the development of independent security. Complex ideas are introduced through the use of case studies and anecdotes.…

The results of the program of credit by examination at the University of Texas at Austin during the 1986-1987 testing year are presented. The data provide a basis for a comprehensive picture of the impact of the program on this campus. The examinations covered 51 subject areas with 171 courses taught in 36 departments/divisions in 8 colleges and…

This study analyzes the impact of school structure on the friendship networks of students in desegregated schools in Israel. It highlights the importance of school features, such as the homeclass, to the formation of relationships among seventh through ninth grade students. A review of research literature on this topic is presented in the areas of…

This study was designed to increase knowledge of the functioning of item bias techniques in detecting biased items. Previous studies have used computer-generated data or real data with unknown amounts of bias. The present project extends previous studies by using items that are logically generated and subjectively evaluated a priori to be biased…

This study investigated the effects of multigrade classes on student achievement in the Mesa Public Schools in Reading and Mathematics. Student achievement in differing abilities groups and levels was also analyzed. The District formed multigrade classes from adjacent grade levels to reduce class loads and number of teachers. Students retained…

In this study, students' perception of group membership (high-ability group, middle-ability group, and low-ability group) was found to affect their performance on a test of reading achievement. Subjects were 157 seniors in a developmental reading course. Data revealed that those students who believed that they had been placed in a high ability…

During each fall quarter, some of the freshman English sections at Georgia Institute of Technology are taught by an experimental track method. The mechanics of English composition are categorized into specific areas of competence; these categories form the basis for three tracks, taught simultaneously throughout the quarter. Students are assigned…

We do not yet know for certain whether desegregation works because the goals of desegregation are so amorphous and the research conducted so far is inadequate to prove whether racial composition has an independent impact on student achievement. Desegregation is a complex issue whose nature is not known and may not be discovered because attempts to…

Intended for reading teachers and others involved in the testing or placement of students, this paper describes the development and evaluation of a prescribed individualized reading program. Following an introduction to the program (which allows students to progress through each reading level at their own pace), the second and third sections of…

THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY CONCERNED WITH DEPARTMENTALIZATION IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE REPORTED IN STATISTICAL TABLES WHICH ARE ACCOMPANIED BY DESCRIPTIVE COMMENTARY. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE SURVEY, THE DEFINITION OF DEPARTMENTALIZATION IS RESTRICTED TO INCLUDE ONLY THOSE SITUATIONS IN WHICH STUDENTS RECEIVE INSTRUCTION IN THE VARIOUS ACADEMIC…

PROJECT ABLE, A STATE-WIDE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE BETTER EDUCATIONAL SERVICES FOR CULTURALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS, WAS ADOPTED BY AN INNER-CITY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL IN SYRACUSE, NEW YORK. SPECIAL STAFF USED WERE--INSTRUCTIONAL SPECIALISTS, A READING CLINICIAN, AN AUDIOVISUAL COORDINATOR, A SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER, A VOCATIONAL AND PLACEMENT COORDINATOR,…