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Group by ability for acceleration and remediation (16)
Group by ability for acceleration (29)
Group by ability (30)
Group by ability across classes (19)
Group by ability earlier in elementary school (11)
Group by ability in middle school (7)
Neutral or ambivalent about ability grouping (9)
Group students appropriately (46)
Group students appropriately based on accurate assessments (20)
Group students appropriately by ability, neither too high nor too low (10)
Group average students appropriately (5)
Regroup by ability during the school year (11)
Communicate better with parents about grouping by ability (14)
Group by ability for acceleration and remediation:
2 I am very pleased with the way the classes are divided up so that some kids get challenged, others get the extra support they need.
3 Differentiated instruction needs to be more individually targetted. More emphasis on acceleration & remediation based on individual achievement.
5 I think grouping is vital to math instruction and should start in the early grades with sufficient resources for all math groups. The slower learners need to spend more time working on each concept and the faster learners should be taught at a faster pace. Nobody is well served by a "one size fits all" approach. If my children were slow learners I would not want them to be frustrated by "not getting it" and having to try to learn the same things year after year without really grasping them. If my children were bright, I did not want them bored year after year with all the "reviewing" going on.
o grouping by ability: in class, across classes, across grades, across schools, whatever it takes
4 They need to group by ability throughout the grade in order to challenge the bright children & support the children who are not as advanced, so they don't become frustrated & give upon math. Also it would allow the students in the middle a chance to excel & be challenged & move up if they should do well.
4 I like the fact that the kids are grouped by ability. I think that this ensures each child gets maximum benefit from teaching time and the best chance of mastering the [illegible] years of MCPS math will be based, without being left behind the class or bored silly with math class while waiting for other kids in the class to "get it."
4 Extra help for struggling students as well as those needing just a little extra help. If they can get extra help in reading, why not math!! I believe grouping would help
5 Levels need to be varied so as not to bore the quick and to miss the not so quick
8 Q5: Yes. I strongly believe this
Q14: Don't leave anyone behind. Group them by ability and take them all as far as you can
5 Don't let grouping by ability be destroyed! It is essential to motivate and challenge all students.
2 Q11: No. I think she has a great teacher this year but would benefit from being in a group situation with kids on the same level as her -- even if the kids are in different classes.
Q14: The kids need to be challenged at their level. If there is no one at their level in their class, then they should be pulled and grouped from all the classes.
4 Grouping by ability -- it is just as painful for children to be chronically bored as to be chronically overchallenged. Not to mention, we've got to stop focusing most of our resources on helping underachievers progress slightly, while neglecting society's future leaders.
2 More grouping and instruction in accordance with abilities.
2 Matching level of instruction to student's ability
5 Maintain grouping by ability; advance students at their own pace
3 I think that Montgomery County should keep the classes grouped by similar ability -- the kids get more done in class and it's easier for the teachers to teach at the same level so the kids learn more.
3 Require ability grouping --> It is just too boring for able students to have to go at a slower pace, and less able students don't get the support they need if in a mixed group.
Group by ability for acceleration:
5 At [ ], there is no grouping in grades lower than 5. This is very frustrating for children who master the material early, but then have to keep reviewing repeatedly. There needs to be accelerated teaching available to these students.
2 Q4: Within class. No instructor or teacher available for these few -- they must work on their own
2 Q14: Very advanced math students need to be grouped with others in the school with their math ability, and a qualified math instructor needs to teach these kids.
1 Group kids by ability; take them as far as they can go;
3 Group students by ability so those who master an application at a quicker pace can advance to the next level instead of waiting for others to catch up. This would alleviate the advanced students from getting BORED!
K Children need to be able to advance at a level consistent with their abilities. All children even those as young as kindergarten, need to be assessed in their math skills and then progressed in their math skills. Why is there no grouping and acceleration in math at the elementary school level until 3rd grade?
2 This if the first year our school is not grouping by ability in the 2nd grade. I feel this has been another wasted year in math for our child. Our principal has decided this is best for the students. She has said this is her personal and professional opinion. What about the opinions of the teachers who have students who still cannot do addition to students who are ready for multiplication? I personally cannot wait for the scores of the MSPAP to come out for this grade next year. I think she took a big step backwards for the math program in our school. I think that by first grade they are ready to be grouped by ability in math. Just like in reading. My child is bored and he certainly is not challenged by any of the math they are doing in school. We moved here from another state three years ago, I had a child who entered third grade at that time. The teacher was amazed that she knew her multiplication and division so well. They learned this in second grade. My son is still doing double digit addition and subtraction. What a shame it is that I have to teach him multiplication at home. I think this is the reason so many kids are being home schooled. I certainly feel as if I am "home-schooling" my child in math. Good luck with changing the math program.
1 Grouping according to ability -- even in lower grades -- challenged more. My son complains that he already "knows" what they are learning -- More honors classes in middle & high school math. Honors Algebra for 9th graders, too.
10 When a student is working at a level higher than average (Algebra II in 10th grade) he may be slowed by students working at a lower level. He is unfortunately grouped with other students (but they're at a low level for their grade). Consequently, it slows the advanced student down.
5 Q8: Our school can offer advanced placement because they received additional teacher support. She is the reason grouping is available for the classroom.
Q14: The program needs increased teacher support to allow individualized instruction and ability-appropriate grouping. I would like to see more advanced information with respect to the math curriculum.
5 Having a game plan in place to advance knowledgeable students and not cater to group teaching
2 Keep the ability of the children with same ability throughout their education. I don't want my child held back by slower students.
? Q5: Yes. Very much
Q6: Needs to be grouped & given extra work
11 Q5: Yes. He is very gifted in math
2 Grouping
Move the higher ability group along
2 They need to group the children by ability! The more advanced are laughing at the slower, while not learning.
4 He would go crazy if he was not in a class with the stimulation provided by other above-grade-level kids. Keep kids in similar-ability classes.
2 More grouping within a grade level, so kids who are above grade level can all work together & form a "peer" group.
2 Grouping -- accelerated curriculum
2 More grouping to challenge abilities
8 Keep them with their level needed or the whole class drop & keeps the more advanced kids back
3 Group students who are fast learners
6 Not sure. I do know that the debate is on as to whether or not there should be homogeneous math classes at the GT level. My child is in a GT math class and if that practice were to be abandoned it would force me to leave the county schools or at the very least the [ ] cluster. I work in schools/classes that are heterogeneous & it is very difficult to serve the needs of those struggling & the GT at the same time.
4 Group students according to their ability, no matter what that is! Quit using children as "role models." They need to be place according to their needs not somebody else's!
3 I am pleased with the math program at [ ] because it groups by ability and moves the top group ahead at a comfortable rate. Taking away ability grouping would be a HUGE mistake!!
1 Grouping. More advanced homework and class work.
3 I strongly believe it is essential to group students by ability. "Closing the gap" should not equal bringing all students to the same mediocre level.
5 More opportunity for very advanced students to learn at higher level, and for all students to have small group instruction at their own level
4 Asking about Math grouping at my child's school is complicated. Traditionally K-2nd grades were not grouped at all. My child was occasionally pulled out, with a small group, to work on extended activities that were planned by a teacher yet done with a parent. She received no additional instruction from the teacher. 3rd-5th grade the pattern was to divide the students by ability, yet we only had two classes per grade so there were only two groupings. Math in K-2 was way too easy. 3rd grade was the first time she was taught some new material and she could have moved at a faster pace.
This year we have three classes in 3rd and 5th grade. Those grades have an accelerated (GT) Math class and two heterogeneous classes. They are grouped heterogeneously so those on the lower end will not feel badly and those who are borderline will benefit by being with children who are ready for a faster pace. The 4th grade still has only two classes and is divided by ability, but some of the 4th graders are sent to the 5th grade heterogeneously grouped classes. My daughter is a 4th grader in a 5th grade Math class. Most of the time the Math is at her level. Occasionally, she could go faster.
I DO NOT like heterogeneous Math instruction. For children who are accelerated it slows them down considerably. And for those who need a lot of attention, either they don't get the attention they require or the rest of the class just waits for them. Teachers have so much to do that giving them an even larger range of instruction in a single class seems an incredible burden.
Group by ability:
3 Q5: Of course, this is obvious!
3 Q5: Very much so
2 Q5: Yes. But we understand and empathize that this isn't always possible.
2 Q5: My daughter's math skills improved greatly this year once the math groups were formed.
3 Q5: YES!! In math this is crucial.
4 Q5: Yes. Very much so.
2 Q5: Definitely!
Q14: Grouping students
7 More ability grouping
7 Group kids according to their ability in math, so the teachers can teach and the students can learn
2 Q5: Absolutely
6 Q5: Absolutely! And in other subjects too!
6 Continue tracking/grouping
3 More grouping by ability
2 Q5: Yes
Q14: Grouping
2 Q5: Definitely
3 Q3: Yes. This is key!
3 More challenging, more discrete grouping for different ability levels
1 Divide classes in groups according to their needs -- and ability
9 Q5: Yes. Very important.
1 grouped by ability
3 Q5: Yes and no. Within their own classrooms
3 Grouping those with similar abilities
2 Grouping by level.
2 Grouping
2 First children must separate in different groups according to their math levels.
5 Q5: Yes!!!
5 Q5: Yes!
Q14: Ability grouping
5 Q5: Yes!!
Q6: Yes. And only because he is grouped by ability
1 More tracking & 1-1 focus
1 Group the children at a similar level and give them the math material they are interested in
Group by ability across classes:
3 Grouping by ability across classes and even across grade, as necessary, should be done in all grades.
5 Similar ability grouping should be a must at all grade levels. Those students who have high ability should be allowed to have class with higher grade (i.e., 1st graders who know how to add/subtract should be allowed to have math with 2nd graders).
5 No matter what the age, students must be taught at their ability level; even if it is 2 or 3 years past grade level(s).
1 Children should be tested and, if appropriate, moved to the next grade level. If we did not work with our child at home, she would be totally bored by mathematics in the classroom. This is not the direction we want our child to be led.
4 Continue math groupings, preferably across classes, because teachers find differentiation extremely difficult
2 I think all kids should be ability grouped -- not just across classrooms, but across grade levels. This is not happening in my daughter's class. I thought this was the reason for block scheduling.
1 For 1st graders I would like to see them move across classrooms as they do for 2nd grade & up so that the math students are grouped by their ability into one classroom
4 Allow advancement to upper grades.
2 Q4: Across classes. Within same grade
Q11: No. Child is more capable, yet is in the top group for his grade
2 We would like to see some crossover class groupings. This would add a degree of challenge to learning-- it also shows the children other classes are focusing on similar tasks.
3 As students progress they are moved up to the next group. This means the top group gets larger but still has 1 teacher. The kids who were already at the top have no place to move to and they need to wait for those just entering to catch up. These children are not being challenged which can cause them to be disruptive and they may be more reluctant to challenge themselves later. While other elementary schools are learning multiplication, my child is making faces on clocks. When the children took the test for [the Center program], the [ ] kids may have been at a disadvantage by not having the same advanced & enriched curriculum
3 More levels in terms of homogeneous math classes. More problem solving. More teamwork.
4 Group children within class after grouping across classes. The advanced math class is way over crowded and not all kids who should be there are in there!!!
3 Maintain across class groupings -- the kids in this group all like math and want to learn it.
2 Forming groups across classes.
5 I think that grouping by skill level should occur (across classes) before 5th grade.
1 1st priority: homogeneous grouping for math across each grade, if not across 2 grades. At [ ], the 4th & 5th grades combine for math, resulting in a plenitude of groups, covering all abilities. Math is 4 days a week for 75 minutes a session.
3 Need to separate children with same math ability from children with different math ability -- use separate classrooms
3 Q4: Across classes. This is important, so teacher can concentrate on a group at same level.
Group by ability earlier in elementary school:
1 Earlier tracking of advanced capabilities (K & 1)
5 More grouping at earlier grade levels (1st or 2nd)
2 At our school, 1st & 2nd graders are not grouped across classrooms. It is very difficult for one teacher to teach all the levels of math ability that present themselves in an average class. So I believe we either need math assistants to go in on a part time basis to help the main teacher or children should be grouped across classes for math, even at this young age, so that a teacher can teach a group of children with similar capabilities.
8 Early grouping by ability (3rd grade, at least).
3 Students must be grouped no later than 3rd grade with students of similar abilities.
4 Keep kids with similar ability together from early grades on.
1 Need ability grouping in elementary. Need to challenge kids earlier with material that's more difficult.
9 Group earlier in school
10 Should be ability-based groups starting in primary grades.
5 Younger students need to be grouped according to their level. Prior to this year, this was happening.
8 More consistent grouping by ability starting in elementary school
3 More explanation & teaching for the whole class at same time to raise the level of thinking for all students of the same class
2 Do not group in lower grades.
3 Q5: No. Math instruction as arranged this year seems to work well. Child is in 3rd grade of 2/3 combination.
6 I do not like the fact that the least skilled teacher tends to teach the "lowest" skilled math group.
2 Grouping students by abilities as young as 2nd grade --> those not in advanced group already feel "inferior." Teacher feedback indicates that students will rarely be able to catch up enough to participate in advanced levels in next grade.
3 Way too much emphasis on GT this & that. My son is eligible for the IM math course in y6th grade. This program accommodates so few children's interests/needs. I'd rather see the resources used to benefit all the kids. I think we should set a challenging standard for all the kids & work on mastery of that standard for all. Keep tracking to a minimum!
3 Q5: No. Not especially, even though both our kids are in the top math groups
4 Perhaps less group instruction, and more one-to-one help for students
3 Grouping can be destructive for both below and above average kids. It is based on the need to grade kids with respect to their classroom. The kids however get a distorted view of their own ability and peer pressure to do better is removed for below-average kids. It also traps below-average kids.
4 Math should not be grouped by ability
1 Q5: No. I believe that you cannot do this without unconsciously considering socioeconomic status
Neutral or ambivalent about ability grouping:
1 Q5: Yes!! Unless the overall classroom math standard is raised
2 Q5: Yes. Or at least get more challenged
2 If grouping continues, make sure all groups are exposed to similar materials and objectives.
2 More aides could be used to help the teachers further divide children into levels that are appropriate for them. At the moment, even within the most accomplished level, there is a wide range of student math accomplishments, which means the children at the highest level are not learning as much as they readily could.
Perhaps new teachers also need more instruction in how to teach effectively to children at different levels. Or, the curriculum needs to address this better.
2 Q5: Yes if school can not differentiate sufficiently in mixed level groups
K Q5: I believe there are good & bad possibilities in both situations
1 Children should sometimes by grouped by ability
1 Q5: Not in earliest years of school, but by middle school & high school especially
2 Q5: Not sure. I think second grade is too early for grouping in math