The Four Blocks framework was first implemented in one first grade classroom. In the decade since then, the framework has been implemented in thousands of primary classrooms throughout the country. Different schools and school district have different ways of assessing how children are growing and evaluating the instructional program. To answer this question, we will summarize results from three schools or districts. Clemmons Elementary School, the school in which the framework was originally implemented is a large suburban school with a diverse student population.
Some children come from homes surrounding the school and others are bussed from the inner city.
Since the program began, the student population has remained relatively stable, with approximately 10 percent of the children moving in and out each year. All classes are heterogeneously grouped and contain an average of 22 children. Throughout the year, teachers conduct assessment by observing and conferencing with children, taking running records and looking at writing samples. Because the IRI is administered at the end of the year, an instructional level of first or second grade is considered grade level at the end of first grade and an instructional level of second or third grade is considered grade level at the end of second grade. Across five years, instructional level results have remained remarkably consistent.