Anne Arundel County Schools Trying Heterogeneous Grouping
School system offers more students access to rigorous coursework at all county elementary schools with Advanced Learner Programs, and at Annapolis High and Central Middle.
Photos
Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) hopes that offering greater access to rigorous coursework will increase achievement for all students. New Advanced Learner Programs at all county elementary schools was one step taken in this new direction.
Heterogeneous grouping became a hot topic after the principal at Annapolis High announced last spring his intention to utilize it at the school. While that possibility is still being investigated, Central Middle in Edgewater grouped sixth-grade students together in the same math level (Algebraic Readiness) starting with this school year.
At Wednesday's AACPS Board of Education meeting, parents of Central Middle students took a stand against grouping higher-performing students with lower-performing ones in math classes. However, the school's principal stands by the decision.
“This year my sixth graders arrived having had the best scores ever on the Maryland State Assessment, which has allowed us to offer all sixth graders advanced level classes,” Principal Mildred Beall wrote in a letter to parents in September.
Traditionally, students are grouped in classes based on performance. The goal of heterogeneous grouping is to have honors-level students learn alongside those who are struggling, ideally supporting each other in the classroom. But some parents have said they are concerned it may hold back the most dedicated students, who sit idly by while teachers struggle to keep an even pace with the rest of the class.
Karen Colburn, the parent of a Central Middle student, approached the school board on Wednesday night armed with a petition bearing 200 signatures, asking the board to put a stop to heterogeneous grouping at their school until further studies had proven its value in the classroom. She called it an experiment thrust onto students before it was properly studied.
“The truth is that for every study you can cite that shows that HG works for low achievers, I can show you one that shows the risk for high achievers,” Colburn said.
Stefan Koziolek said his son, who was once challenged by schoolwork, came home each day bored by the class.
"This punishes advanced students," Koziolek said.
Allen Kruger, the parent of two students at Central Middle, said he was incensed that faculty kept this practice from parents until after the school year began.
“Not only was this hoisted upon us without any transparency, but there continues to be an effort to cover it up,” Kruger said. “As educators you should be embarrassed that you’re trying to hide this, sneak it past, and not deal with us in an appropriate manner.”
The petition Colburn brought was seeking action, but board members didn’t offer a response during the meeting. Afterward, Board Member Deborah Ritchie of Pasadena (District 31) said it was unlikely they would take a formal stance on the issue.
Though Ritchie said she personally approves of heterogeneous grouping, believing it to be an effective teaching technique, it’s not something she thinks should be instituted across the entire school system.
“I like it because I think we can learn from each other,” Ritchie said. “But the fact is, it may not work in some other school. It needs to be an individual decision of the school.”
In an interview with Patch last month, Board President Patricia Nalley also vouched for heterogeneous grouping, saying that she had seen it work in the classroom.
“In my experience, I saw that it worked in an elementary setting,” Nalley said. “We didn’t call it that [heterogeneous grouping] at the time, though. It was mixed-ability grouping, and I believe it’s been a proven method in elementary schools.”
Annapolis High Principal Donald Lilley has made it known that he would like to implement heterogeneous grouping. It was originally scheduled to go into effect this school year but Lilley held off, saying he’d like more time to study its effectiveness, and to gather the input of parents.
At the board meeting on Sept. 21, the Annapolis Education Commission (AEC) made a presentation indicating that parents were still skeptical of the grouping procedure. Jeff Macris, chairman of the AEC, said more positive proof of the method was needed before implementation.
“Parents want to see demonstrable proof that it can work in our local schools under Annapolis’ unique set of challenges and circumstances,” Macris said.
Assistant Superintendent George Arlotto said heterogeneous grouping wasn’t a system-wide policy. It’s a decision being made by principals and faculty, and they have the power to manage their facilities as they see fit, he said.
Board Ends Budget Year on High Note
The school board closed the book on the 2010-2011 school year’s budget, which ended the fiscal year with a $15 million surplus in the general fund.
This leftover amount will be used as a reserve buffer as staff prepare for next year’s budget, unless the board provides a specific directive for the funds, said Director of Budget and Finance Susan Bowen.
Bowen also provided the board with a glimpse at next year’s 2012-2013 budget, indicating that expenses haven’t been reduced.
“What I can tell you is that the numbers are not going down,” she said.
A more complete budget picture should be ready by December, when Superintendent Kevin Maxwell will deliver his general operations budget to the board for approval.
In This article
-
-
Annapolis High
2700 Riva Rd, Annapolis, MD -
Central Middle School
221 Central Ave E, Edgewater, MD -
Janet Norman
10:04 pm on Thursday, October 20, 2011
Very good article... except for the plug about the Advanced Learner's Program in elementary, which exists mostly in name only. Teachers for advanced learning removed, regular class teachers thrown a few workbooks and told "figure it all out." Still no hard evidence to support the AACPS approach, if you read the full AEC report. Dr. Maxwell will admit to "poor communication" on issue, but not sloppy reasoning and analysis, and horrendous implementation. And why would it be okay for mixed levels of science, but not math or language arts? Is science expendable, because none of the administrators understand real scientific fields? Seems like a "lets bore all the kids" approach....
Virginia
3:17 pm on Friday, October 21, 2011
Absolutely correct and true! My daughter and son are both advanced learners who have to sit for over an hour listening to grade level instruction and get maybe 15 minutes of advanced learner time and then it's not even on their level...it's for the LOWEST of the advanced kids. They are bored and in 1st and 2nd grade and ready to stop school since it's so boring and easy. I'd like to see how the advanced learners scores didn't change because they have to sit through and "help" the lower level learners!
John
10:31 pm on Thursday, October 20, 2011
More failed liberal concepts of "let's make it fair for everyone" which has only resulted in the "dumbing down" of education so there are no losers.
We're what...34th is the world for education? This is a reason. You take the best students and absolutely separate them.
This is not trying to be mean. This is not calling other kids dumb or stupid. There are simply kids, for a number of reasons, who excel. They can't sit in class bored to death as the teacher has to go at half their pace for the other students.
Guy
8:28 am on Friday, October 21, 2011
I don't get it. What this article describes as heterogeneous grouping is the exact opposite of the Advanced Learner Program. In the ALP, students who test high in math and/or reading get pulled out of the regular classes and grouped together for an hour of advanced instruction in each course per day.
John
8:35 am on Friday, October 21, 2011
Listen, kids learn at different levels for a wide variety of reasons. Let's say you have 30 kids and you're teaching basic division. 10 get it right off the bat. 10 more need the teacher to go more in depth. And 10 don't get it and are struggling.
What happens to the top 10? They become bored and disinterested as the teacher spends more and more times going over concepts they already know. You have to separate those 10.
kerry Delaney
12:04 am on Sunday, October 23, 2011
The fact is that no one will benefit from heterogeneous grouping. Students that are advanced will be uncomfortable being the know it all and those that have difficulty will not be comfortable acknowledging what they don't know or understand. It was tried at Bates Middle School years ago a d it was a disaster. I will be frank..Teach children to read in elementary school and you might have an even playing field. Too many of Annapolis area students do not have a strong foundation when it comes to the basics. This problem isn't the gifted children ( sorry, parents of the gifted ones), not getting what they deserve, it's the students that have not had an advocate to make sure they get everything they deserve to be a well educated and competent student.
John
8:22 am on Sunday, October 23, 2011
I was tried in Columbia in the early 70's. I know since I was one of the guinea pigs. I was called "open space" learning and the concept was everyone's one big huge happy family. It was a total disaster and my parents pulled me out by the 4th grade to send me to private school. I went back to public in high school when that nonsense was over.
Listen, a lot of this comes from the home. I'm sure parents reading this know about the AR reading program. Kids read AR books then take a test online to get points. I believe all kids need 25 points by year's end.
By year's end the results are telling. Some kids barely got the 25 while others got hundreds of points. Those are parents who care and institute a solid reading program at home. You want those kids mixed in with the other kids who's parents will never care? I don't.
Virginia
8:10 pm on Sunday, October 23, 2011
Actually the AR thing is a joke at my kids school. Some teachers let students take it whenever they want...other teachers say they don't have time for it and the students aren't allowed to take the quiz. My children read at least an hour if not over 2 a day and neither have been able to take the quizes on the books that are checked out from school. The results are not really that telling...only telling if a teacher supports the program or not.
John
8:14 pm on Sunday, October 23, 2011
I'm not too sure what you mean. My son reads and takes the quizzes at home on our computer. We simply log in. It's a fantastic system to make sure he fully understands what he's reading. You simply need to make sure that the books they get are AR books so they can take quizzes at home. Depending on how young the kids are, that they're "reading" could not mean much if they're not absorbing and understanding what they're reading. I, for example, thought my son was starting to read books to advanced for him, but he's been getting 100%'s on the quizzes.
Virginia
8:18 pm on Sunday, October 23, 2011
I asked at our school about doing it at home and was told we were not allowed to do it at home. I have no idea why they would tell me that if other schools can do the quizzes at home. My kids bring home the AR books and finish them quickly but aren't allowed to do the quizzes. Interesting how things are run at different schools.
John
8:26 pm on Sunday, October 23, 2011
Wow. Our son goes to Four Seasons and we have access at home. I don't understand why you don't. The only reason I can imagine is your school thinks the parents would help with the quiz - but that would also means the parents would have to read the book. My son just got finished with The Thone of Fire and trust me, I'm not reading it.
Virginia
8:32 pm on Sunday, October 23, 2011
Well we don't live too far away from you and honestly it wouldn't surprise me that's why they don't allow it at the school. If my kids could do the quizzes at home that would be great. They didn't give a reason except that they "aren't allowed." I don't read the books my kids read either, but they are always quizzing me on them!
7 Oaks Mom
1:32 pm on Tuesday, October 25, 2011
The problem is that the parents want to tell everyone their kids are in the "gifted" or "accelerated" classes, so they want their kids isolated. Teachers are taught in undergrad how to differentiate instruction so that all of the students needs are being met. There is a way to enrich students who need it, and remediate those who dont get it in the same classroom! I have been doing it for over 12 years. What happens when you move out all of the "sparks" and "lightbulbs"? Its good that other students get to hear ideas and work in collaborative groups with students who may excel in that subject area. Otherwise, you are left with a class full of students who have NO idea.. and then begins the behavior problems......!
Virginia
1:59 pm on Tuesday, October 25, 2011
I would have to disagree with that comment. I don't care if no one knows if my kids are in the gifted or accelerated program! I just want my kids to learn in school. It's not happening right now with this new program. I have seen first hand what happens in the classrooms. Why should my kids be the one helping the students who are struggling? There is research that says if you take the gifted kids out of the classroom then there are struggling students who step up and start getting their own ideas out instead of always relying on the "smart kids." Behavior problems can also come from the gifted kids who are BORED because they have to sit through things they already know or have mastered!
John
2:13 pm on Tuesday, October 25, 2011
The real problem is, after the 12 year fantasy is over, life happens. And in "life" the "lightbulbs" eat in the executive dining room while the kids who "thought" they were doing so well with fake "B's" because everything is so dumbed down are shocked to find themselves bringing a bag lunch to their cubicle.
The problem is school planning is based on on the MSAs. Everyone is worried about the slow kids. It punishes tough teachers who make their kids actually earn A's and don't mind giving out C's and D's when the effort isn't there. Those are now "bad teachers." Ironic - since they are actually the best. In my high school an A was a gift. Now it's an expectation. Heaven forbid your "bright" kid earns a C on a written paper because it's not top notch. Parents go nuclear.
In the mean time we're 34th in education worldwide because we're tying to figure how to coddle the slower kids while the smart ones atrophy and become disinterested.
I'm a small business owner and read emails from college grads who got straight A's but can't master 8th grade grammar.
My son recently came home with an A on his 4th grade paper. It was riddled with errors. Small errors, but errors. Buy hey, you need to keep those grades up or the school gets slammed for poor performance.
School, for me, is done. There is no school. What my son is learning is a total embarrassment. Tests are an embarrassment. Most of what he knows he gets from home
Jane
10:20 pm on Wednesday, October 26, 2011
When I was a child, you went to school and dealt with whatever life threw at you - bullies, behavioral problems, and the gifted. It didn't matter if you were "bored", you had to show up. Now we are hard-working adults. Kids these days are so spoiled. The system pussy-foots around the real world and protects them so that when they are thrown out into life they can't handle it. Just look at all the boomerang kids in the generation that just came of age!
Sarah
7:18 am on Thursday, October 27, 2011
John, you are sooo very right on this. Upper level students do not get what they need. The system is too busy addressing the lower students. Anyone ever heard "you're only as strong as your weakest link?" The problem is they need the upper level students to bring up MSA scores. Teachers can only do so much and with basically 3 sets of students, this is made more difficult.
John
8:32 am on Thursday, October 27, 2011
@Jane - back when I went to school it was the exact same thing - bullies, behavior problems, etc...that no one would address. Which is why my parents pulled me out by the 4th grade and I actually got an education in private school.
7 Oaks Mom
2:43 pm on Monday, October 31, 2011
My question is - do parents know the difference between being "gifted" and just plain smart? Not every kid who is smart is gifted. There is a distinct difference. Most times, the students needs can be met in the classroom. However, when they cant, I agree with having a "gifted" classroom. I wasnt implying that the gifted kids are giving all the answers, while the other kids are just writing down their answers, so to speak, but that kids of different intellectual abilities may look at things differently and can offer more to the discussions, etc. I havent seen the research about kids in the low class stepping up because the "gifted" kids are in other rooms, but I have read countless studies about kids who are low achieving for whatever reason being put into one classroom homegenously and being tracked and going NOWHERE academically. If all of us in the class have no idea whats going on, what is going to compel one kid to suddenly have a bright idea? Doesnt happen. @Virginia, I do agree that GT kids can also have behavior probs out of boredom. @John I agree as well that parents go nuts if their kid gets a C even if its earned. It can be a nightmare. So I guess I am not on either side of the fence. I see both sides. I am not sure HOW to address the problem but I am going to do more research on it!
John
9:55 pm on Monday, October 31, 2011
Very few kids are gifted. There are many factors involved with kids who do poorly. It's everything from genetic to socioeconomic and everything in between.
That these kids will perform better sitting next to "smarter" kids is simplistic and ignores the reason they're behind in the first place.
I do, however, understand the opposing argument. You separate the smart kids and what you end up doing is labeling the other kids as "the dumb ones." I'm not sure how much of a self-confidence hit a 1st, 3rd, or 6th grader takes when it comes time for the "special kids" to leave the class for advanced learning. It can't be positive.
There has to be a solution and at least I know one thing - I don't have the answer.
karen
9:20 pm on Wednesday, November 16, 2011
I have an advanced child in highschool. I also have a slow learner as people say in above comments. My daughter was ok grouoed with all levels. She was bored at times but was better ib honor classes now ap classes..however my son who is slower struggles. He needs to be in a class with less advanced kids. As self esteem drops when he doesnt catch on. Just saying it wont just benefit the advanced but would greatly benefit the not advanced group. Plus enable teachers to soend the right time on ideas and taching ways will create higher test scores.
Janet Norman
10:25 pm on Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Good testimony from parents to Board of Ed. tonight... now up to 400 parents signing petition opposed to heterogenous grouping of students. Board seemed unresponsive, until Central Middle School parents notified them they're organizing an opt-out of the MSA test, not having their advanced students take the MSA, and see how the Board likes those ratings and repercussions.....