Researchers Saiying Steenbergen-Hu, Matthew Makel, and Paula Olszewski-Kubilius recently analyzed the results of almost 100 years of research on the effects of ability grouping and acceleration on students’ academic achievement.
Results showed academic benefits of within-class grouping, cross-grade grouping by subject, and grouping for the gifted, but no benefit of between-class grouping. Results were consistent regardless of whether students were high, medium, or low achievers.