This action research project sought to enhance parent, student, and teacher relationships and maximize academic time in the elementary school setting by implementing looping, the practice of teachers progressing with the same students through two or more grades. The targeted population consisted of second graders in a middle-class, blue-collar community in Iowa. The problem of lost academic time at the beginning of the school year to build relationships and establish rules and routines was documented at the local, state, and national levels. The looping intervention allowed first graders and their teacher to progress together to second grade (after which, the teacher began with a new class of first graders). The results of the implementation of looping were positive. Student test scores from the end of the first year to the middle of the second year were higher in the looping class than the non-looping class. Parent, student, and teacher comments indicated that the looping process was beneficial to everyone. (Two appendices include project documents. Contains 16 references.) (EV)