ACCOMMODATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES WITHOUT CLASSROOM ABILITY GROUPS - AN EXPERIMENT IN SCHOOL RESTRUCTURING

This study examined an alternative approach for organizing reading and language arts instruction to accommodate individual differences in re ading ability. The approach featured Cooperative Integrated Reading an d Composition (CIRC), conducted without ability groups, with cross-age and peer tutoring, supplementary phonics instruction for some student s, and classroom-based instruction from compensatory and special educa tion teachers. Students in regular, remedial, and special education we re included in an experimental and a control school. We found signific ant effects on reading vocabulary, total reading, and language scores in favor of the experimental school; but on several other measures, in cluding behavior ratings, we did not detect treatment effects.