ABSTRACT
Beginning in the 1850s, grade levels were created for students of the same age. The curriculum was then matched to each grade level, each of which was essentially an ability group. The curriculum was introduced sequentially each year as the children progressed from grade to grade or from age ability group to age ability group. Students in one group were separated by ability and placed into homogeneous classes while students in the other group were assigned to mixed-ability classes. Students were tested again at the end of the school year, and those in the homogeneous group scored approximately two grade equivalents higher in mathematics than did similar-ability students in the heterogeneous class. According to Fiedler et al., the movement was based on concerns for students who were segregated from challenging curricular opportunities and placed into lower tracks. Whole-class grouping is where students are organized by grade or course, which is characterized by the use of a traditional, and textbook-dominated curriculum.
