Question

Do you have any information on the elementary school grouping practice called looping?

Response

Hello,

In response to your request for information on looping, I conducted a sample search of the ERIC database. Below I have appended my search strategy, 12 citations with abstracts, and directions for accessing the full text. These citations may represent an introductory, rather than exhaustive, search for information on your topic.

If you would like to conduct your own free ERIC database searches via the Internet, please visit the ERIC Database Help pages for directions or go directly to http://www.eduref.org/Eric/adv_search.shtml to search.

I have also attached some related resources that may be helpful.

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AskERIC Staff

Internet Sites:

* Looping - NCREL's Pathways to School Improvement Series
Includes a short description of looping and its benefits and links to further information.
http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/instrctn/in5lk10.htm

* Multiyear Education: Reaping the Benefits of "Looping"
By Kathy Checkley; from ASCD's Education Update, Vol. 37, Number 8 (November 95) Includes information on the benefits of looping for students and teachers.
http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edupdate/1995/1nov.html

* Looping - Discovering the Benefits of Multiyear Teaching
By Karen Rasmussen; from ASCD's Education Update, Vol. 40, Number 2 (March 98) Describes the benefits of looping.
http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edupdate/1998/1mar.html

* In the Loop: Students and Teachers Progressing Together
This school administrator article from Education World pulls together research and opinions on looping. Contains links to other looping resources.
http://www.education-world.com/a_admin/admin120.shtml

* To Loop or Not To Loop: 'Tis a Question for Many Schools
This article is from the February 1996 Communicator, a publication of the National Association of Elementary School Principals. It outlines the benefits and drawbacks of looping.
http://www.naesp.org/comm/c0296.htm

* Education Week - 'Looping' Catches On As a Way To Build Strong Ties
This article from the October 1997 issue of Education Week outlines some of the benefits of looping and gives a quick overview of research issues. There is also a link to a related November 1996 article.
http://www.edweek.com/ew/1997/07loop.h17

* Looping: Something Easy That Works Well
Includes issues to be addressed, research results, and a how-to section.
http://www.teachnet.com/how-to/looping/index.html

Electronic Discussion Group:

* loopingteachers
This list has been created to provide a forum for both experienced and new looping teachers. All grade levels are welcome, although currently most members teach in primary grades.
For more information, or to subscribe, go to:
http://onelist.com/group/loopingteachers

Below are several ERIC Citations that may be relevant to your question. For information on obtaining the full text of the materials cited below please refer to our document on how to obtain the full text of materials cited in ERIC at: http://www.eduref.org/Eric/Help/obtain.shtml For more information about ERIC Citations, including an explanation of the abbreviations used for the field codes, click here: http://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Qa/archives/fields.shtml

ERIC Database Citations through 3/2003:

Search Strategy: looping (Identifiers) OR looping (All Descriptors)

To run this search in the ERIC Database click the "Submit" button

Record 1 of 12 - The ERIC Database

AN: EJ652570
CHN: PS533041
AU: McCown,-Claire; Sherman,-Scott
TI: Looping for Better Performance in the Middle Grades.
PY: 2002
SO: Middle-School-Journal; v33 n4 p17-21 Mar 2002
ISSN: 0094-0771
DT: Journal-Articles (080); Reports-Descriptive (141)
LA: English
DE: *Class-Organization; *Classroom-Techniques; *Looping-Teachers; *Middle-School-Teachers; *Teacher-Student-Relationship
DE: Classroom-Environment; Educational-History; Middle-School-Students; Middle-Schools; Teaching-Methods
AB: Defines practice of looping teachers and describes its history in American education. Details a looping project instituted in a middle school, including the initial planning, customization of instruction, and structure of classroom instruction. Evaluates the looping process by presenting advantages and disadvantages encountered, and offers concluding comments for others considering looping. (SD)
CH: PS
FI: EJ
DTC: 080; 141
UD: 200301 (CIJE)

Record 2 of 12 - The ERIC Database

AN: EJ646604
CHN: CE539484
AU: Brown,-Mark; Johnson,-Iris-DeLoach; Grueninger,-Carl-E.,-III
TI: Getting Middle School Students Back on Track: A School-University-Corporation Partnership.
PY: 2002
SO: Educational-Forum; v66 n3 p262-70 Spr 2002
ISSN: 0013-1725
NT: Theme: Measuring and Celebrating Student Success.
DT: Journal-Articles (080); Reports-Descriptive (141)
LA: English
DE: *College-School-Cooperation; *High-Risk-Students; *Middle-School-Students; *Partnerships-in-Education
DE: Higher-Education; Looping-Teachers; Middle-Schools; School-Business-Relationship; Urban-Education
AB: The Back on Track Program, a partnership among a Cincinnati middle school, Miami University, and Procter and Gamble, provided team teaching for at-risk students. In an adaptation, Bridge Builders, five teachers looped with seventh graders for 2 years with Miami student teachers' involvement. Improvements in achievement and social development resulted. (SK)
CH: CE
FI: EJ
DTC: 080; 141
UD: 200210 (CIJE)

Record 3 of 12 - The ERIC Database

AN: EJ643728
CHN: PS532886
AU: Chirichello,-Michael; Chirichello,-Carol
TI: A Standing Ovation for Looping: The Critics Respond.
PY: 2001
SO: Childhood-Education; v78 n1 p2-9 Fall 2001
ISSN: 0009-4056
DT: Journal-Articles (080); Reports-Descriptive (141)
LA: English
DE: *Action-Research; *Elementary-School-Students; *Looping-Teachers; *Parent-Attitudes; *Parents-; *Student-Attitudes
DE: Grade-1; Grade-2; Primary-Education; Stress-Management; Surveys-; Teacher-Student-Relationship
AB: Describes one teacher's experience with looping between first and second grades. Highlights responses to surveys, whereby parents and students demonstrated positive social, academic, and emotional advantages to looping, including improved student-teacher relationships, less anxiety, and improved teacher's understanding of students' strengths and weaknesses. Offers ten recommendations for teachers who are considering looping. (DLH)
CH: PS
FI: EJ
DTC: 080; 141
UD: 200208 (CIJE)

Record 4 of 12 - The ERIC Database

AN: ED458007
CHN: PS029851
AU: Little,-Thomas-S.; Little,-Lynn-Priest
TI: Looping: Creating Elementary School Communities. Fastback 478.
CS: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation, Bloomington, IN.
PY: 2001
ISBN: 0873676785
AV: Phi Delta Kappa International, P.O. Box 789, Bloomington, IN 47402-0789 (member, $3; non-members, $4, plus $1 shipping). Tel: 800-766-1156 (Toll Free); Tel: 812-339-1156; Fax: 812-339-0018; Web site: http://www.pdkintl.org.
PR: EDRS Price MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS.
DL: http://www.edrs.com/members/sp.cfm?AN=ED458007
DT: Guides-Non-classroom (055); Tests-or-Questionnaires (160)
CP: U.S.; Indiana
LA: English
PG: 43
DE: *Change-Strategies; *Elementary-School-Teachers; *Looping-Teachers; *Teacher-Student-Relationship
DE: Classroom-Environment; Educational-Change; Educational-Improvement; Educational-Innovation; Educational-Practices; Elementary-Education; Elementary-School-Students
AB: Looping, a multi-year teaching assignment whereby a teacher remains with the same group of children for more than one grade, is designed to meet the individual needs of students and improve student learning. This booklet describes the practice of looping in American schools. The booklet details the underlying theories supporting the practice and describes why looping is successful. Information is also provided on implementing looping, including developing an interest group, finding a core of teachers, introducing the concept to parents, and targeting students for inclusion in the looping classrooms. Suggestions are given for successful implementation and warding off potential difficulties. The booklet concludes by noting that the practice of looping is increasing as one of the many options with immense benefits to students. (Five appendices include sample surveys for teachers and students and sample letters for parents. Contains 14 resources.) (KB)
LV: 2
CH: PS
FI: ED
DTC: 055; 160
UD: 200203 (RIE)

Record 5 of 12 - The ERIC Database

AN: EJ625326
CHN: PS531610
AU: Albrecht,-Kay; Banks,-Margaret; Calhoun,-Gwen; Dziadul,-Linda; Gwinn,-Carla; Harrington,-Brooke; Kerr,-Brenda; Mizukami,-Masami; Morris,-Amy; Peterson,-Chreyl; Summers,-Rene-Rhoads
TI: The Good, the Bad, and the Wonderful!--Keeping Children and Teachers Together.
PY: 2000
SO: Child-Care-Information-Exchange; n136 p24-28 Nov-Dec 2000
ISSN: 0164-8527
DT: Journal-Articles (080); Reports-Descriptive (141)
LA: English
DE: *Caregiver-Child-Relationship; *Day-Care; *Early-Childhood-Education; *Looping-Teachers; *Young-Children
DE: Developmental-Continuity; Models-; Parent-Caregiver-Relationship; Parent-School-Relationship; Parent-Teacher-Cooperation; Teacher-Student-Relationship
AB: Presents the Primary Teaching model of early caregiving whereby a child and family are assigned to a primary teacher with whom they stay throughout the child's time in care. Focuses on components of primary teaching, the continuity of care, and the benefits and problems of this approach. (KB)
CH: PS
FI: EJ
DTC: 080; 141
UD: 200110 (CIJE)

Record 6 of 12 - The ERIC Database

AN: ED452976
CHN: PS029459
AU: George,-Paul-S.; Lounsbury,-John-H.
TI: Making Big Schools Feel Small: Multiage Grouping, Looping, and Schools-within-a-School.
CS: National Middle School Association, Columbus, OH.
PY: 2000
ISBN: 1560901659
AV: National Middle School Association, 4151 Executive Parkway, Suite 300, Westerville, OH 43081 (Stock No. 1300, $19 includes shipping). Tel: 800-528-NMSA (Toll Free); Tel: 614-895-4730; Fax: 614-895-4750; Web site: http://www.nmsa.org.
PR: EDRS Price MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS.
DL: http://www.edrs.com/members/sp.cfm?AN=ED452976
DT: Books (010); Information-Analyses-General (070)
CP: U.S.; Ohio
TA: Practitioners
LA: English
PG: 127
DE: *House-Plan; *Looping-Teachers; *Middle-Schools; *Mixed-Age-Grouping; *School-Organization; *Teacher-Student-Relationship
DE: Classroom-Environment; Early-Adolescents; Educational-Research; Grouping-Instructional-Purposes; Middle-School-Students; Middle-School-Teachers; School-Size
AB: Increasing numbers of middle school educators believe that the education of young adolescents can be enhanced when teachers and students are members of classrooms and small team groups characterized by long-lasting relationships. This book describes how to offer students the benefits of smallness within increasingly larger schools by ensuring long-term teacher-student relationships. Three major ways of achieving such relationships are detailed: (1) multiage grouping; (2) looping; and (3) schools-within-a-school. Research on middle school organizational patterns is summarized. Also presented are the findings of a national survey on long-term teacher-student relationships that gathered the opinions of 105 educators, 586 parents, and 1,100 students from 33 schools. Guidelines for practitioners interested in implementing long-term teacher-student relationships to make big schools seem small conclude the book. (Contains 53 references.) (KB)
LV: 2
CH: PS
FI: ED
DTC: 010; 070
UD: 200110 (RIE)

Record 7 of 12 - The ERIC Database

AN: ED443557
CHN: PS028718
AU: Krogmann,-Jessica; Van-Sant,-Rebecca
TI: Enhancing Relationships and Improving Academics in the Elementary School Setting by Implementing Looping.
PY: 2000
NT: Master's Action Research Project, Saint Xavier University and SkyLight Field-Based Masters Program.
PR: EDRS Price MF01/PC02 Plus Postage.
DL: http://orders.edrs.com/members/sp.cfm?AN=ED443557
DT: Dissertations-or-Theses-Undetermined (040)
CP: U.S.; Illinois
LA: English
PG: 34
DE: *Student-Improvement; *Teacher-Student-Relationship
DE: Academic-Achievement; Action-Research; Change-Strategies; Classroom-Research; Educational-Change; Educational-Practices; Family-School-Relationship; Grade-1; Grade-2; Intervention-; Primary-Education
ID: *Looping-(Teachers)
AB: This action research project sought to enhance parent, student, and teacher relationships and maximize academic time in the elementary school setting by implementing looping, the practice of teachers progressing with the same students through two or more grades. The targeted population consisted of second graders in a middle-class, blue-collar community in Iowa. The problem of lost academic time at the beginning of the school year to build relationships and establish rules and routines was documented at the local, state, and national levels. The looping intervention allowed first graders and their teacher to progress together to second grade (after which, the teacher began with a new class of first graders). The results of the implementation of looping were positive. Student test scores from the end of the first year to the middle of the second year were higher in the looping class than the non-looping class. Parent, student, and teacher comments indicated that the looping process was beneficial to everyone. (Two appendices include project documents. Contains 16 references.) (EV)
LV: 1
CH: PS
FI: ED
DTC: 040
UD: 200101 (RIE)

Record 8 of 12 - The ERIC Database

AN: EJ606502
CHN: EA537290
AU: Black,-Susan
TI: Together Again: The Practice of Looping Keeps Students with the Same Teachers.
PY: 2000
SO: American-School-Board-Journal; v187 n6 p40-43 Jun 2000
ISSN: 0003-0953
DT: Journal-Articles (080); Reports-Evaluative (142)
LA: English
DE: *Achievement-Gains; *Educational-Benefits; *Looping-Teachers; *Teacher-Student-Relationship; *Time-Factors-Learning
DE: Discipline-; Educational-History; Elementary-Secondary-Education; Grade-Repetition; Mathematics-Achievement; Reading-Achievement
ID: Learning-Communities; Steiner-(Rudolf); Waldorf-Schools
AB: Looping, the practice of moving teachers to the next grade level along with their students, is enjoying a comeback. European and U.S. Waldorf schools have used this approach since the early 1900s. The extra time gained in learning translates into improved student achievement, discipline, and participation. (Contains 10 references.) (MLH)
CH: EA
FI: EJ
DTC: 080; 142
UD: 200011 (CIJE)

Record 9 of 12 - The ERIC Database

AN: EJ592917
CHN: EA536280
AU: Little,-Thomas-S.; Dacus,-Nannette-B.
TI: Looping: Moving Up with the Class.
PY: 1999
SO: Educational-Leadership; v57 n1 p42-45 Sep 1999
ISSN: 0013-1784
DT: Journal-Articles (080); Reports-Descriptive (141)
LA: English
DE: *Parent-Teacher-Cooperation; *Teacher-Student-Relationship
DE: Elementary-Education; Program-Implementation; Teacher-Response; Young-Children
ID: *Looping-(Teachers); *Oak-Ridge-Schools-TN
AB: A Tennessee elementary school's adoption of a looping program, allowing teachers to stay with their classes for two years, resulted in improved student confidence and teacher/parent relationships. Looping places less pressure on young students to learn all curriculum objectives in one year. Lessons and benefits are summarized. (MLH)
CH: EA
FI: EJ
DTC: 080; 141
UD: 200004 (CIJE)

Record 10 of 12 - The ERIC Database

AN: EJ591076
CHN: EA536159
AU: Nichols,-Get-W.; Nichols,-Joe-D.
TI: Looping: The Impact on Parental Attitudes in the Educational Environment.
PY: 1999
SO: International-Journal-of-Educational-Reform; v8 n3 p274-79 Jul 1999
ISSN: 1056-7879
DT: Journal-Articles (080); Reports-Research (143)
LA: English
DE: *Educational-Environment; *Multigraded-Classes; *Parent-Attitudes; *Parent-Teacher-Cooperation
DE: Elementary-Education; Surveys-
ID: *Looping-(Teachers)
ID: Waldorf-Schools
AB: Discusses recent findings on looping's effects in our educational system and on parent/teacher attitudes in the school community. Analyzes parent survey data gathered at an urban elementary school in a large midwestern school corporation. Results suggest guarded support for multigraded classes, as effects on achievement gains are unknown. (13 references) (MLH)
CH: EA
FI: EJ
DTC: 080; 143
UD: 200003 (CIJE)

Record 11 of 12 - The ERIC Database

AN: EJ589451
CHN: EA536122
AU: Reynolds,-Janice-Carner; Barnhart,-Brad; Martin,-Barbara-N.
TI: Looping: A Solution to the Retention vs. Local Promotion Dilemma?
PY: 1999
SO: ERS-Spectrum; v17 n2 p16-20 Spr 1999
ISSN: 0740-7874
DT: Journal-Articles (080); Reports-Descriptive (141); Reports-Evaluative (142)
LA: English
DE: *Accountability-; *Grade-Repetition; *Individual-Differences; *Low-Achievement; *Student-Promotion
DE: Developmental-Programs; Elementary-Education; Social-Promotion; Suburban-Schools; Teacher-Student-Relationship
ID: *Looping-(Teachers); *Multiyear-Teaching
ID: Kansas-(Kansas-City)
AB: Discusses looping, or multiyear assignment of children, as a strategy to ease the retention/social-promotion dilemma. Multiyear assignment gives teachers extra time to bring low-performing students up to grade level and develop stable, caring relationships with students. A suburban Kansas school's successful program is profiled. (24 references) (MLH)
CH: EA
FI: EJ
DTC: 080; 141; 142
UD: 200002 (CIJE)

Record 12 of 12 - The ERIC Database

AN: EJ586494
CHN: PS529251
AU: Chapman,-Janet
TI: A Looping Journey.
PY: 1999
SO: Young-Children; v54 n3 p80-83 May 1999
ISSN: 0044-0728
NT: For related articles see PS 529 249-250.
DT: Journal-Articles (080); Reports-Evaluative (142)
LA: English
DE: *Family-Attitudes; *Teacher-Attitudes; *Teacher-Effectiveness; *Teacher-Student-Relationship
DE: Action-Research; Family-Influence; Instructional-Innovation; Primary-Education; Student-School-Relationship
ID: *Looping-(Teachers)
ID: Teacher-Satisfaction; Teacher-Stress
AB: Recounts a teacher's experiences staying with the same group of children for more than one year (looping) as they progress through kindergarten and first grade. Discusses advantages of more stability and less trauma for the child, and more instructional time and less stress for the teacher. Addresses possible disadvantages of children having incompetent teachers or teachers having difficult children. (AMC)
CH: PS
FI: EJ
DTC: 080; 142
UD: 199912 (CIJE)

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