Pass or Fail: Teacher Preparedness and Multi-Age Classroom Development

pass or fail

In this multi-part series, I provide a dissection of the phenomenon of retention and social promotion. Also, I describe the many different methods that would improve student instruction in classrooms and eliminate the need for retention and social promotion if combined effectively. While reading this series, periodically ask yourself this question: Why are educators, parents and the American public complicit in a practice that does demonstrable harm to children and the competitive future of the country? Before classrooms can transition to successful multi-age models, teachers have to be willing and ready. When it comes to the success of a multi-age classroom model, teacher buy-in …

Pass or Fail: Parents’ Role in Multi-Age Classroom Development

Pass or fail

In this multi-part series, I provide a dissection of the phenomenon of retention and social promotion. Also, I describe the many different methods that would improve student instruction in classrooms and eliminate the need for retention and social promotion if combined effectively. While reading this series, periodically ask yourself this question: Why are educators, parents and the American public complicit in a practice that does demonstrable harm to children and the competitive future of the country? Change within classrooms isn’t best spearheaded by teachers, or administrators, or researchers. Change takes place when parents put their support behind it. According to some researchers, parents are …

Pass or Fail: Multi-Age Classroom Development Recommendations

pass or fail

In this multi-part series, I provide a dissection of the phenomenon of retention and social promotion. Also, I describe the many different methods that would improve student instruction in classrooms and eliminate the need for retention and social promotion if combined effectively. While reading this series, periodically ask yourself this question: Why are educators, parents and the American public complicit in a practice that does demonstrable harm to children and the competitive future of the country? How can the contemporary pass-fail classroom setup transition to one that accommodates different ages and ability levels? Paula Carter teaches in a multi-age classroom at Rita Cannan Elementary …

Pass or Fail: Multi-Age Classrooms and Mainstream Inclusion

pass or fail

In this multi-part series, I provide a dissection of the phenomenon of retention and social promotion. Also, I describe the many different methods that would improve student instruction in classrooms and eliminate the need for retention and social promotion if combined effectively. While reading this series, periodically ask yourself this question: Why are educators, parents and the American public complicit in a practice that does demonstrable harm to children and the competitive future of the country? The often idealized model – the model that is more specifically targeted to educational outcomes and the developmental benefit of the child – concentrates on creating a diverse …

Pass or Fail: An Ideal Multi-Age Classroom

pass or fail

In this multi-part series, I provide a dissection of the phenomenon of retention and social promotion. Also, I describe the many different methods that would improve student instruction in classrooms and eliminate the need for retention and social promotion if combined effectively. While reading this series, periodically ask yourself this question: Why are educators, parents and the American public complicit in a practice that does demonstrable harm to children and the competitive future of the country? Obviously a multi-age classroom has children of different ages – but other than that factor, what would an ideal multi-age classroom look like? The …

Pass or Fail: The Challenges of Multi-Age Classrooms

pass or fail

In this multi-part series, I provide a dissection of the phenomenon of retention and social promotion. Also, I describe the many different methods that would improve student instruction in classrooms and eliminate the need for retention and social promotion if combined effectively. While reading this series, periodically ask yourself this question: Why are educators, parents and the American public complicit in a practice that does demonstrable harm to children and the competitive future of the country? Applying a multi-age concept to classrooms, instead of the more rigid age-based system we use today, could solve a lot of problems — but …

Pass or Fail: Multi-Age Classroom Success Stories

pass or fail

In this multi-part series, I provide a dissection of the phenomenon of retention and social promotion. Also, I describe the many different methods that would improve student instruction in classrooms and eliminate the need for retention and social promotion if combined effectively. While reading this series, periodically ask yourself this question: Why are educators, parents and the American public complicit in a practice that does demonstrable harm to children and the competitive future of the country? Should kids be assigned classrooms based on age, or development? The multi-age classroom and education philosophy are supported by research as an effective approach to education. Historically, multi-age …

Pass or Fail: Mixing Ages to Accommodate Developmental Differences

pass or fail

In this multi-part series, I provide a dissection of the phenomenon of retention and social promotion. Also, I describe the many different methods that would improve student instruction in classrooms and eliminate the need for retention and social promotion if combined effectively. While reading this series, periodically ask yourself this question: Why are educators, parents and the American public complicit in a practice that does demonstrable harm to children and the competitive future of the country? Promoting or holding back students based on age alone is not a helpful to the student — or our overall student population. If age were taken away as …

Pass or Fail: Is the Academic Cost Worth It?

pass or fail

In this multi-part series, I provide a dissection of the phenomenon of retention and social promotion. Also, I describe the many different methods that would improve student instruction in classrooms and eliminate the need for retention and social promotion if combined effectively. While reading this series, periodically ask yourself this question: Why are educators, parents and the American public complicit in a practice that does demonstrable harm to children and the competitive future of the country? Do the ends justify the means in terms of social promotion and retention practices? How do these policies impact the academic career of a child who is retained …

Pass or Fail: How Did We Get to This Assessment Place?

pass or fail

In this multi-part series, I provide a dissection of the phenomenon of retention and social promotion. Also, I describe the many different methods that would improve student instruction in classrooms and eliminate the need for retention and social promotion if combined effectively. While reading this series, periodically ask yourself this question: Why are educators, parents and the American public complicit in a practice that does demonstrable harm to children and the competitive future of the country? When it comes to assessing what students have learned, there is a mixed review from educators. A few view the current way we assess students as on point, …