Mixed Age Courses

What does “multi-grade level” mean? Multi-grade level content? No. Teachers are not teaching two grade levels with two separate curricula. Mixed age content? Yes. Teachers are teaching students of different ages in the same course with the same curriculum.

AISL MIXED AGED LEVEL COURSES 7-8 Language Acquisition 9-10 Language Acquisition 7-8 Design 9-10 Design (only two grade 9 students) 7-8 Arts 7-8 Music 9-10 Music

Advantages Increased student achievement, especially in language Increased social and emotional growth, especially in social skills Opportunity to make more friends Working with students of same skill level Breaks down the traditional factory model of schooling and creates a tailored program for students Challenges students within their zone of proximal development (best teaching practices)

Disadvantages More challenging for some teachers Some students may be uncomfortable at first

How do we address the disadvantages? Administration conducting instructional coaching with teachers Students practice proactive advocacy during Advisory. Pedagogical leadership team regularly meets to reflect and review on school programming. Open door policy

How can I be sure my child is challenged appropriately? Student achievement is tracked, reviewed, and used for curricular planning Teachers use differentiation strategies to meet the wide variety of needs within any classroom. Grade level meetings, department meetings, student support services meetings, individual instructional coaching meetings…

Resources The Advantages and Disadvantages of Multiage Classrooms in the Era of NCLB Accountability by the Center for Evaluation & Education Policy. The Multi-Age Classroom: What Research Tells the Practitioner by Sandra Stone Is Multi-Age Grouping Beneficial to Middle School Students? By the North Carolina Association for Middle Level Education Effectiveness of Multi-Grade Classes: Cooperative Learning as a Key Element of Success, in the Journal for the World Academy for Science A COMPARISON OF THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF STUDENTS IN MULTIGRADE ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS AND STUDENTS IN SELF-CONTAINED SINGLE-GRADE ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS, a doctoral dissertation from Stephen Theophil Pawluk