It was later included as a model in the state's resource guide. To ensure some consistency among schools, the district would continue to determine curriculum guidelines. Last spring, Dr. Fischer abruptly announced that grouping would end at all district schools. Grouping means dividing students into skill-based groups for a small part of each day to ensure they both master fundamentals and are challenged to achieve. One teacher might work with a group of students who read fluently while another teacher focuses individual attention on those still learning to sound out words.
Children move between groups as they grasp a concept or require more time to learn a skill.
For the rest of the day, children learn in classrooms with peers who have a wide range of interests, skills and talents. Downes and Bayard schools, which consistently score at the top of the district, use grouping for English and math. Guidelines changed Concerned about changing a program that actually seemed to be working well, a group of parents asked Dr. Fischer to explain his reasons. They also pointed out that shared decision-making guidelines clearly listed grouping as a school decision. Dr. Fischer backed off then, but apparently only long enough to rewrite Christina's decision-making booklet.