Aretha B. Pigford

Instructional Grouping: Purposes and Consequences

Grouping of students should not be a simple matter. It is far more than separating students based upon some achievement measure. Indeed, decisions regarding which students are grouped, on what basis they are grouped, when they are grouped, and for how long they are grouped can have significant implications for student learning and productivity. The most common basis for grouping is student ability. The rationale or justification for the practice of ability grouping is the belief that the more homogeneous a group of learners, the more students will learn and the fewer management and administrative problems the teacher will encounter. The reality, however, is that there is little evidence to support any significant academic benefits from children being separated by ability during entire school days. In fact, there is significant evidence to suggest that such a grouping pattern may have significant negative social and psychological effects on students (Slavin 1987). Like most instructional practices, grouping is neither inherently good or bad; there is no single grouping configuration that is better or worse. The important point is that the teacher ask the appropriate questions before separating students. Following are some of those questions that can be posed in order to effectively group students.

Evaluation By Checklist: Debating the Effectiveness

Bubblemania is a disease that seems to be spreading throughout school districts. The causes are known, the symptoms are becoming increasingly evident, and the results may be potentially devastating to teaching and learning.

Effective Principals Aren't aLways Instructional Leaders

ARETHA B. PIGFORD is interim assistant dean in the University of South Carolina College of Education, Columbia. Since the effective schools research identified strong instructional leadership as a correlate of effective schools, considerable time and energy have been devoted to analyzing and scrutinizing the behaviors of effective principals with the hope of isolating the specific behaviors that characterize instructional lead-

The Interview: What Candidates for Administrative Positions Should Know and Do.

An interview is your opportunity to sell a product about which you have the most knowledge—yourself. Your challenge is to ensure that everything about that product conveys a powerful, positive message.

Teachers, Let Students Talk

Some crucial considerations in developing oral communication skills are presented.