In addition, parents gain a greater understanding of their child's academic and social needs and tend to become more active participants in their child's education. The summer between the first and second year of a multiyear program is also beneficial. Parents and students can engage in activities that reinforce the prior year's learning, or investigate new areas of study that will begin in the fall. Each of these allows for a different delivery system to meet the diverse needs of students, parents, and teachers. The multiyear classroom is not appropriate for some teachers, students, and parents.
Multiyear classrooms can only be part of the solution.
While multiage and looping practices reduce retentions, special education referrals, and suspensions, they do not eliminate them, as some early idealists had hoped and predicted. There is no one way to implement looping and multiage. Each school must consider its unique circumstances when developing a plan and a timeline for implementation. Looping or multiage succeeds only if teachers make valuable use of the additional time. We have learned that multiage and looping are not successful in and of themselves.