Split grade classes are an administrative necessity rather than a philosophical preference. They have approximately the same number of students from each grade level. There are an equal number of boys and girls. They represent the same range of ability levels as single grade classrooms in the school. The percent of special needs students is the same as other classrooms in the school.
Parents choose to have their children in multiage classrooms.
Rationale for Multiage Programs Chronological age and mental age do not always correspond. A child mey excel in one curricular area and simultaneously have difficulty in another. Children are eble to work at different developmental levels without obvious remediation, thus avoiding the social or emotional damage typically caused by retention or grade acceleration. Age and achievement differences are accepted as normal by children. Multiage arrangements lend themselves well to integrated curriculum, cooperative learning, and cross-age tutoring.