Do you have questions?

Do you have questions regarding multiage classrooms? Click on 'Comments' to enter your questions. Under 'Comment as', enter your name under Name/URL or select Anonymous.

What other supports will our teachers need during this transition?

The resources and support that we hear the most from the administration and staff currently utilizing a multiage program is time to do the work. Setting up for a multiage environment is time consuming and difficult work, but every teacher followed that statement up with they would never desire to teach in a traditional graded classroom again. We are working at setting up contacts with other districts that currently use the multi-age classroom model and with other individuals who have taught or had experiences with multi-age classrooms in the past. We feel that these individuals will be the best support for our teachers during this transition.

Will in-service time will be set aside for our staff to be trained in this model?

We will begin taking steps to find out what we need to be doing in order to support our staff through this transition. We have made contact with the University of Northern Iowa and a gal who has taught in a multi-age classroom environment at the lab school for many years. We are going to plan to have her come and help us through the transition process. I have also made contact with a principal in southwest Iowa who made the transition a little over 3 years ago to the multi-age classroom system. She has been very helpful with information and I look forward to continuing to be able to utilize her as a reference source. From the guidance of these other districts and individuals we will determine what in-service time will be needed for our staff to be trained in the multi-age classroom model.

Will our teachers have an opportunity to visit multiage schools and ask teachers questions?

We have already taken some of our staff to the Des Moines Downtown School to see their multi-age classroom system. We will plan to take any other staff, that desire to do so, to schools that utilize a multi-age classroom structure for a visit so they can see it in action and ask questions. We also plan to utilize Skype and other technologies to connect our staff with other teachers who are a part of multi-age classroom systems.

What schools in AEA 1 are currently using the multiage model?

To our knowledge there is one school in AEA 1 that uses a type of multi-age or multi-grade program and that is Howard-Winn at the Elma elementary center. We have taken staff to the Des Moines Downtown School to visit their multi-age environment and I have talked to a principal at Corning Community Schools which has more recently transitioned to the multi-age classroom environment and is similar to our size as a district.

What literature was read so I can read the same literature/research to form my own opinions?

There are many different types of research and articles available on the topic of multi-age instruction. Below are a few of the sites and articles that were shared and discussed at Central as we began to discuss and look at multi-age classrooms.
http://www.greatexpectationsschool.com/education/multi-age-classrooms.html 
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/resourcesandtourism/components/DB6178-1.html 
http://www.edletter.org/past/issues/1998-jf/multiage.shtml 
http://www.waupaca.k12.wi.us/faculty/bmoen/research.cfm
http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/~kmmercer/multiage/benefits.htm
http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/~kmmercer/multiage/index.htm
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/instrctn/in500.htm