Adaptive Instruction and Classroom Time

The study described in this paper assessed (a) the degree of implementation of a program of primary grades instruction—the Adaptive Learning Environments Model; and (b) the association of the degree of implementation with efficient use of student time and other classroom resources and processes. Data were collected on 156 kindergarten- through third-grade classes (138 teachers) that included students with economically disadvantaged backgrounds and mainstreamed mildly handicapped and gifted students. The classes were located in 10 school districts across a wide geographic region and differed in ethnocultural and socioeconomic characteristics. Results from the study showed that 96 percent of the teachers were able to establish and maintain the Adaptive Learning Environments Model at moderate to high criterion levels, and that the degree of implementation was associated with students’ efficient use of learning time and with constructive classroom behaviors and processes.