Sean Castle | Teaching Strategies That Have Been Proven Successful

With school districts’ increased dedication to raising academic standards and abolishing social promotion, tremendous pressure has been placed on teachers and students to lift standardized test scores. While this could appear admirable from afar, its practical and real-life implications don’t seem to be often as glowing. In fact, the push toward higher standards often results in tracking, ability grouping, and grade retention-all of which have inherent problems. Tracking, grouping, and retention are widely practiced within the us and in many other countries, and that they are founded on both theory and research. Tracking, most frequently practiced in secondary schools, groups students into courses or sequences of courses of varied levels of difficulty suited to their levels of achievement. Ability grouping, most frequently practiced in primary schools, assigns students within classrooms to homogeneous groups of like ability. Grade retention requires students who haven’t attained achievement standards to repeat one or more grades. All three practices are supported the assumption that children of like abilities or levels of feat can learn together more efficiently than can heterogeneous students. Other theories and research suggest that these practices is also inefficient and unwise. Some argue, for instance, that students retained in grade may suffer declining self-concept which can deter their progress in order that they’re less likely to catch up with grade level standards. this can be due, in part, to the actual fact that, by itself, grade retention doesn’t address the causes of educational failure. Others counter that, to the contrary, such students would eventually fall further behind and drop out whether or not they were retained. To “socially promote” ill-prepared students would depreciate the worth of the highschool diplomas of these who meet rigorous standards. Similarly, some argue that it’s more efficient to show subjects like mathematics when students share similar abilities. as an example, it’d seem difficult for consumer mathematics and calculus to be learned efficiently in one group. Still, it’s going to be argued that faster learning students may like helping slower-learning students. Schools may additionally provide more classroom time and intensified instructional services to at-risk students for remediation or to forestall them from falling behind within the first place.

Retention

While there’s no magical cure for the ails of retention, alternatives must be examined before it’s too late-that is, before a student is on the brink of be retained. By studying the experiences of successful students and making findings available to practitioners, researchers can help teachers concentrate on using teaching strategies that are proven successful. the subsequent recommendations could even be helpful.

• Encourage preschool enrollment so as to cut back retention rates.

• Require full-day kindergarten. • Provide remediation that’s proportional to children’s academic needs without relation to whether or not they are retained.

• Develop a robust advisor network which will allow faculty to urge to understand the scholars.

• Maximize peer relationships through cooperative learning and tutoring.

• Shift to interest-based learning where highschool students are exposed to career-based or project-based education rather than the lecture and test-taking practices now used.

• Extend the tutorial calendar either to year-round schooling or longer school days.

• concentrate on retaining motivated and qualified teachers.

• Hold teachers to expectations of upper levels of curriculum and instruction. Researchers’ and practitioners’ voices aren’t the sole ones that ought to be heard.

Parents must also become more involved in helping their children avoid retention. Some ways to spice up parent involvement are:

• Develop “tip sheets” that have helpful hints on how parents can get more involved in their child’s education.

• Develop parent education and outreach programs.

• Don’t wait until students are in danger of failing; begin communication with parents at an early stage.

Grouping and Tracking

Why does neither retention, grouping, nor tracking enhance the tutorial progress of most children? Unfortunately, in many colleges, grouping and tracking have led to stagnant and generalized courses designed to satisfy minimum curriculum standards. so as for true reach be made, the intent, purpose, and style of grouped classes must be examined and a high level of integrity maintained. the subsequent recommendations deserve further consideration.

• Consider multi-age classrooms as how to counterpoint children’s learning and development.

• Prioritize collaborative efforts among schools, employers, and better education in supporting academic excellence.

• Have goal conferences with students. Integrate students’ self-assessments into decisions on their grouping.

• Provide stronger teacher and principal preparation coursework that may address diversity in learning rates and designs.

• Keep grouping flexible.

• Grouping should include high expectations, rigorous curriculum, and equitable access to high-quality instruction.

• Promote cultural awareness which will help teachers meet the various needs of their students.

• Promote public awareness. Educate the community on the most effective ways to group students.

• Hold administrators, teachers, parents, and students accountable. All must work together to attain the optimum level of student success.

Sean Castle is a passionate teacher who loves to see students grow and develop into things they never imagined before. Education provides opportunities. Education opens doors to life!

Sean Castle has 20 year’s experience in education and has worked in various leadership roles since 2007. These include as Acting Deputy Principal, Head of Teaching and Learning and Administration, Head of Curriculum, Supervisor of Welfare, Head of Faculty, Head of Distance and External Education and vast teaching experience.