Every school in Antioch District 34 has some looping. It's not expensive. It's not fancy. It has soul,'' said Grant, founder of the Society for Developmental Education and author of four books on looping. The most obvious advantage of looping is the efficiency gained in the second year.
Teachers can forgo establishing class rules or sizing up students.
That alone can add at least a month of instruction to the school year, said Grant, who likes loops of two or even three years. At Brook Park, looping helped Crothers achieve a personal first. Crothers said looping helps deepen student understanding because she can refer to a lesson from last year. Some schools that have used looping report fewer discipline problems and absences, as well as increased parental involvement and better test scores. Because teachers have at least two years to assess and work with students, some schools have linked looping to decreased special education placements and retentions.