Rationale: Variability in time and rate of development can grouping by grades undesirable. Multi-grade/alternative team grouping builds cohesiveness, while diminishing the differences in physical, emotional, and intellectual development.

-From Florida Schoolyear 2000 Project -Middle School Subcommittee (1994):

-Multi-age experiences help provide a sense of self-worth

-Fluctuation of student progress often occurs in the middle school years; multi-age/grade

grouping diminishes the negative effects

-Physical, emotional, and intellectual difference become less visible

-A good middle school is like a good family-composed of persons of different ages, but all respected and with particular roles and responsibilities (This We Believe, p.22). A model long advocated by Eichhorn (1966) is that of grouping based on the developmental characteristics of the learner rather than the learner’s age. The results of this method have been substantial, yielding increase in academic progress and self-esteem.

-The most common alternatives used are multi-age grouping (MAG), school-within-a-school (SWS), and student-teacher progression (STP) (George & Alexander, 1993, p. 330). Advantages of alternatives to age-grade grouping are evident in more flexible, learner-oriented methods of schoolwide grouping, and balancing supportive interpersonal structure with the traditional teacher-subject specialization. These alternatives come closer to offering a unique program to middle school learners and, at the same time, move toward continuous progress form the elementary school through the middle school to high school.

MAG- Students remain on the same team of students and teachers for all three years. An example is Lincoln Middle School, in Gainsville, Florida where five teachers and 150 students are together, 50 students each from grades 6,7, and 8. They remain together for three years. The 8th graders are replaced with a new group of 6th graders each year. Closeness in relationships develops and a sense of permanence was established.

STP- Teachers begin with a group of sixth graders and progress with the students through eight grade; then they pick up a new group of rising sixth graders. This program has been successful at Skowhegan Middle School in Skowhegan, Maine. In an evaluation, the following conclusions were reported:

Ninety-two percent of the staff agreed or strongly agreed that this approach results in students receiving a better education.

Ninety-six percent of the staff agreed or strongly agreed that this approach resulted in the team having a better understanding of the individual student.

Ninety-six percent of the staff agreed or strongly agreed that this approach resulted in better parent communications and cooperation.

Ninety-one percent of the staff agreed or strongly agreed that these organizational changes have made their students more enthusiastic about learning (Lynch, 1990).

SWT- The basic format of the conventional grade level teams is retained, but

organizational modifications are made, where so that each school

divided into houses or villages and are subschool representatives for the

larger school. With smaller teams, students, and parents have a more

personal relationship with the school. Buildings can be built or designed

with the house/village concept in mind as an organizational structure for

the sense of smallness within the bigness.

(For additional examples of each of these models see George and Alexander, 1993, pp. 311-337)

-According to George and Alexander (1993), many benefits from various grouping strategies are evident:

-a stronger sense of community is developed

-vandalism, expulsion, suspension, and office discipline referrals appear to be significantly

-instruction is more personalized

-individualization/personalization is increased

-parental relationships are stronger

-peer relationships are stronger

-alternative grouping strategies seem to strengthen other programs with which they interact: AA, etc.

-innovation in curriculum and instruction is increased

-teacher investment in students is increased

-academic achievement is increased

-some evidence exists indicating an increase in moral reasoning, especially in multi-age groups

Selected References

Eichhorn, D. (1996) The Middle School. New York: The Center for Applied Research in Education, Inc.

Florida Schoolyear 2000 Project - Middle School Subcommittee (1994). Center for Educational Technology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.

George, P. & Shewey, K. (1994) New Evidence for the Middle School. Columbus, Ohio: National Middle School Association.

George, P. & Alexander, W. (1993). The Exemplary Middle School, 2^nd edition. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.

Lynch, J. (1990). Evaluation Report for Skowhegan Area Middle School. Skowhegan, ME: School district #54.

This We Believe (1992). Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association.