Homogeneous grouping is a very popular practice, especially in younger grades, but how effective is homogeneous grouping? Do different students benefit more from it? My guest today recently published a study investigating these very questions. Her name is Dr. Susan Patrick and she is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations at Vanderbilt University. Her research interests include school improvement and school-based mechanisms that shape student outcomes. She is also interested in how educational policies and practices may affect racial and socio-economic inequalities. Dr. Patrick and I have a great conversation abou homogeneous grouping, different schools of thought around the practice, how effective the practice is statistically, who benefits from it, and how to maximize it within your classroom. This is a great discussion you won’t want to miss. After the show, stick around for my two cents on the topic.

Reference:

Kemper Patrick, S. (2020). Homogeneous Grouping in Early Elementary Reading Instruction: The Challenge of Identifying Appropriate Comparisons and Examining Differential Associations between Grouping and Reading Growth. The Elementary School Journal, 120(4), 611–635. https://doi.org/10.1086/708666