Accommodations for Individual Differences without Classroom Ability Groups: An Experiment in School Restructuring

This study examined an alternative approach for organizing reading and language arts instruction to accommodate individual differences in reading ability. The approach featured Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC), conducted without ability groups, with cross-age and peer tutoring, supplementary phonics instruction for some students, and classroom-based instruction from compensatory and special education teachers. Students in regular, remedial, and special education were included in an experimental and a control school. We found significant effects on reading vocabulary, total reading, and language scores in favor of the experimental school; but on several other measures, including behavior ratings, we did not detect treatment effects.