Teachers and students in grades 3-6 at Clermont Elementary School work diligently to prepare for the end of the year math SOL assessment. Each year the school sets attainable goals in mathematics to ensure our students have learned the basic math competencies for their grade level in order to be success 21st century citizens. Over the past two years, Clermont has not met their School Improvement Goal for mathematics in grades 3-6. Fifth grade, in particular, has seen a tremendous drop in math achievement over the course of 2 years. For the 2013-2014 school year 73% of students passed the grade 5 math SOL assessment. According to preliminary SOL data, only 44% of students in 5th grade passed the grade 5 math SOL with a score of 400 or …show more content…
Flexible grouping refers to the way students are grouped together to receive instruction. Another term associated with flexible grouping is with-in class grouping which is defined by Robert E. Slavin (1987) as assigning students to small groups based on their academic need in reading or math. This model is often used reading. One such program that uses it is the Guided Reading program in which FCPS schools have adopted and found great gains in students reading achievement. According to Castle, Baker, and Tortora (2005) research, with-in class grouping or flexible grouping is effective particularly for those students who get exposure to it for multiple years. In their research, teachers noted that flexible grouping allowed them to instruct students based on their learning level, students were able to keep focus on the learning task, and below level learners gained confidence. The findings from Sorensen & Hallinan (1986) indicated that students learn more from what is taught in flexible grouping. Grouping causes the students to be more engaged in the lesson. Blatchford, Russell, Bassett, Brown, and Martin (2007) conducted research on various forms of grouping. The research showed the most support for flexible grouping. However, they added that careful and strategic professional development for teachers is needed as well. The professional development should initially be …show more content…
Research proves that students struggle academically and behaviorally in overpopulated classes. With limited funding to hire additional teachers, Clermont must find a way to instruct students in large classrooms. If we do not, assessment scores will continue to drop and students will continue to struggle in math. Other schools have used flexible or with-in class grouping to solve this issue. The benefits grouping students into smaller parties allows for more direct instruction to meet students at their individual learning levels. Flexible grouping does more than help students on achievement assessments. It also reduces misbehaviors and builds student confidence. The outcomes of implementing flexible grouping will not just benefit 5th grade students on SOL assessments; it will also give teachers more flexibility and time to differentiate instruction for