Grouping for Instruction in the elementary School

This article reviews research on the achievement effects of common forms of grouping in elementary schools. Among between-class ability grouping plans, research supports the achievement effects of the Joplin Plan and related programs in which students are regrouped across grade lines for reading and/or math only. In contrast, research on ability-grouped class assignment, where students are assigned to self-contained classes by ability, consistently fails to support this practice. Research on special programs for the gifted and for students with mild academic handicaps is methodologically poor and limited in scope, but tends to support acceleration for the gifted and mainstreaming for the handicapped. Limited evidence on departmentalization recommends against this practice. Certain within-class grouping plans have been found to enhance student achievement. Adequate evidence is lacking on the effects of the use of reading groups, but research on within-class ability grouping in math favors this practice. Use of cooperative, heterogeneous learning groups also has consistently positive achievement effects if the groups are rewarded based on the learning of all group members. However, holding instructional objectives and time constant, mastery learning has few consistent achievement effects.