An experiment in partitioning second-grade mathematics classes into smaller sections of comparable ability

Abstract

The mathematics program of an elementary school was changed so that the classes were partitioned into smaller sections of comparable ability. This change reduced the pupil-teacher ratio and the length of the instruction period. The proposal produced an unanswered question: Will there be an increased achievement gain during the school year which can be attributed to the program change? Two schools served as control groups for the experiment. The California Achievement Test, 19 70 Edition, was used in a pretest -post test design to measure achievement levels before and after the elapsed time of the experiment.