The Effects of Looping in Inclusive Elementary
Classrooms
Melissa Eberle
Dr. Claire-Fisher
EXED 511
December 2009
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Introduction
There are various effects of looping on students in Elementary Inclusive
Classrooms. Are there positive effects of looping for students in Elementary
Inclusive Classrooms? From what has been heard, there are many positive
effects for all students. In this research, there are hopes that all students are
positively affected and helped through looping in the Elementary Inclusive
Classrooms. I have thought about looping myself when I am working in an
elementary school someday in the near future. This research will help in the
knowledge of my education of whether the looping implementation in Elementary
Inclusive Classrooms could help students. I know some of the teachers that are
looping at Allegany Elementary, and have had some of them as previous
teachers myself. They weren’t looping back when I was in Elementary school but
I have been talking to them about it when I was home from college, with them
knowing I was going to major in Education. Talking to others that are new or
experienced to looping can help in learning and eventually making a decision
about partaking in a looping implementation. For me it is easier to talk to them
about it rather than read the research. It is good to know the real life situations
where there are classrooms that have the looping implementation working. The
questions that were used for the interviews conducted are attached in the
appendices. Specifically the research is to see if looping implementation has
positive outcomes for all students in the inclusive elementary classroom. The
interviews were approved by the Superintendent and the Allegany-Limestone
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Board of Education over the summer of 2009. All teachers and the Allegany
Elementary Principal also agreed for the participation in the research. For the
confidentiality of the teachers, there have been sue do names given to them.
Literature Review
Looping is an intervention that calls for elementary school students to
remain with the same teacher during two or more grades. The concept employs
instructional strategies aimed at increasing student achievements and positive
learning behaviors. (Savrock 2005) Some loops are two consecutive years with
the same group of students, while others may be three or more years with the
same group. Despite enthusiastic practitioners, the experience of European
school systems, and favorable research, looping is still uncommon enough in the
United States to be considered innovative. (Burke 1997) Looping is also known
as continuous learning, multiyear placement, and family-style learning. Whatever
the label, looping is a teaching style that dates back to the one-room
schoolhouse that is just now becoming a current educational fad. (Meeks)
Research notes that looping can be beneficial to both the student and the
teacher. The key to student success is the way the teacher properly approaches
looping. (Meeks) Also mentioned by Meeks was that the best quality of looping
is that it promotes a stronger sense of community and family among students,
parents, and teachers. There has been a great deal of research completed on
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the benefit of looping to students socially and academically, but there has been
little research on looping and standardized test achievement. (Meeks)
Urging Toward Looping
Research shows that shy students benefit from looping because it aides in
stress reduction. Students are familiar with their teacher and classmates and
have an understanding of what will be required of them in the upcoming year.
(Meeks) Looping creates relationship benefits because students, parents, and
teachers develop a sense of community and stability. (Hume 2007) Students
are better able to see themselves as an important member of a group and
community, and to feel pride in that group, and feel pride in the school as a
whole. (Burke 1997) Looping is also cost-effective and is relatively easy to
implement, and it has been adopted by numerous school districts nationwide.
(Savrock 2005) The social interactions among adults and students are not
simply a means to some other end; rather “they are education itself.” (Burke
1997)
Benefits of Looping for Teachers
Research shows that teachers gain a deeper sense of job satisfaction
when looping, but the most productive benefit is that they gain extra teaching
time. They can save up to a month of instructional time at the beginning of the
second year because they do not have to learn the students’ learning styles,
strengths, weaknesses, interests, and home situations. (Meeks) There is a
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minimum of anxiety and looping provides children with additional time to build the
relationships on which much of children’s learning depends on. (Burke 1997)
Gaining a month of instructional time is beneficial because they don’t have to
redo classroom rules and ‘getting to know you’ activities at the start of the second
year. Teachers who loop are said to have higher professional expectations for
themselves and higher academic expectations of their students. (Hume 2007)
Hume has also stated that looping teachers may be more comfortable trying our
new instructional strategies simply because they know their students or because
they have time to experiment. Meeks has also stated that teachers are able to
plan lessons based on students’ prior knowledge. Stating that they don’t have to
guess or assume what was taught the previous year. In addition, saying that
they already know what the students understand and are able to build upon that
knowledge. (Meeks) In a traditional school setting, teachers will check to make
sure the majority of the class grasps the concept and move on, but in a looping
setting, teachers are able to work at a slower pace, ensuring all students
understand. Looping also allows the opportunity for teachers to assign work over
the summer. (Meeks)
Benefits of Looping for Parents
Looping is a concept that some parents are apprehensive about,
especially if they are not aware of the benefits or familiar with the program. One
benefit for parents is that they are able to get to know their child’s teacher on a
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more personal level. (Meeks) A parent can be turned into a supporter and
promote strong bonding between the parents and teachers. (Burke 1997)
Looping can allow students who are shy to have more time to get comfortable
with the teacher. (Hume 2007) On the other hand, difficult students have time to
get used to the consistent expectations. From this, teachers note an
improvement in classroom discipline. (Hume 2007) Meeks also states that
parents are then able to develop a confidence in the teacher that is not able to be
developed as well in a traditional school setting. Parents report having more
confidence in their children’s teachers and feeling more respected by the
teachers. (Hume 2007) Another benefit for parents is that they have the option
of removing their child after the first year. Parents have the option to remove
their child from the program if they are not satisfied for any reason. (Meeks) To
show some significance of the parent support toward looping, ninety-nine percent
of the parents in the F.A.S.T. study from Burke, requested that their child have
the same teacher as the previous year. (Burke 1997)
School and Academic Benefits
Looping is stated as creating a classroom environment that engages
students. They develop a sense of pride and look forward to coming to school
rather than dreading it. (Meeks) The increased time together means more indepth knowledge of learning styles and more time for students to master skills.
(Hume 2007) Meeks has referenced that schools that practice looping have
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higher attendance rates and lower discipline referrals. These schools also have
improved test results, fewer special education referrals, and a reduced retentions
rate. (Meeks) Another support of the academics is stated from Burke’s research
of Project F.A.S.T. (Families Are Students and Teachers), implemented in East
Cleveland, Ohio, and schools reported dramatic effects on both student
academic achievement and parental involvement as a result of the “extended
family” aspect of looping. Meeks mentioned that in a traditional classroom the
success isn’t as great as in a looping classroom when comparing progression of
students of all socioeconomic levels. Looping also allows students to learn more
at their own pace without the restraints of a future classroom teacher and
curriculum. The looping allows for more encouragement and freedom for
students to move into more challenging material as they are ready. (Meeks) The
students in these situations are allowed more opportunities to use resource
materials and textbooks from various grades to gain a deeper and more complex
understanding of the concept. (Meeks)
Benefits of Looping in Regards to Standardized Testing
There has been little research conducted to understand the exact benefits
of looping with standardized testing, it has been found that test scores of
students that loop are consistently higher than those of a traditional student. This
can be contributed to the fact that a teacher that has been with a group of
students for a couple years knows them inside and out, and therefore can better
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equip them for the test. (Meeks) Students in the program exhibited substantially
higher reading and mathematics achievement scores on standardized tests than
did students in the traditional grade organization, even when both grades were
taught by the same teacher. (Burke 1997) Additionally to the student academic
gains, F.A.S.T. teachers reported an increased sense of ownership for student
outcomes (both positive and negative), and there was a higher sense of efficacy
as a result of their increased decision-making autonomy for students. (Burke
1997)
Arguments against Looping for Students and Parents
Critics of looping almost always cite personality clashes as their biggest
concern. (Hume 2007) The fear of being placed with an undesirable teacher is
the biggest fear for a child entering into a looping classroom. Parents fear that
their child’s new teacher won’t be as good as another/previous one. (Meeks)
Meeks has also stated that the students fear that they will get a teacher that they
have difficulties getting along with. Another factor considered when entering into
a classroom that will loop is the curriculum. Teachers have to know a broader
curriculum when they have to cover two years of material versus one.
So, if a
child makes the decision to opt out of the looping program or moves there from
another district or area, there may be certain elements of the curriculum that they
may have not been taught yet. (Meeks) Like Meeks, Hume states, looping is
hard on newcomers and separation at the end of the cycle is hard on everyone.
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Social issues should also be considered when thinking about looping. In a
traditional setting, students have the opportunity to change teachers and
classmates each year. (Meeks) A child’s chance to meet new friends can be
limited by looping. Students are with the same sets of classmates for two years.
(Meeks) However, with students being together for two years, tensions can
develop and students can get to know each other too well and may become tired
of one another. On the other hand, students may become too attached to their
classmates and experience emotional difficulty leaving their classes at the end of
the loop. (Meeks)
Arguments against Looping for Teachers and Schools
In research that was conducted by Barbara A. Schaefer and her
colleagues at Penn State found that, after the two-year period, looping did not
have any significant effect on the students’ reading and math achievement,
learning behavior, or attendance rates. (Savrock 2005) There is limited scientific
support for the benefits of looping, and administrators might wish to consider
alternative interventions. (Savrock 2005) Teachers also have a big fear when
being assigned a looping class; they fear being assigned an undesirable class. A
negative effect of this would be the teacher being responsible for this class for
two years, no matter how difficult they are. This fear drives many teachers away
from the thought of looping. (Meeks) Another factor that drives teachers away in
fear is the personalities of their students’ parents. The possibility of having an
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overbearing parent discourages teachers. (Meeks) Teachers have to be
motivated enough and work toward mastering every grade level that is taught.
Traditionally, if they weren’t looping, they would just have to be responsible for
one grade level. (Meeks) For schools and the parents, recognizing that highly
ineffective teachers shouldn’t be in the classroom at all, it is terrifying to think of
the impact on a single group of students over multiple years. Three years of a
highly ineffective teacher means a cumulative achievement gain for a student of
29% as compared to an 83% gain for a student with three years of highly
effective teachers. (Hume 2007)
Future Possibilities
Some proponents argue that there are two times in a child’s life when
stability really matters. The first is the primary grades, and certainly anecdotal
evidence would suggest that this is a time when teachers and parents see
looping in a very positive light, even though a recent study suggested that it
doesn’t have either a positive or negative effect in grades 1 and 2. (Hume 2007).
The second time period, is early adolescence, developmental stage spanning
grades 6 through 9. This time of significant transition in all aspects of life, not
least of which involves moving buildings from grade 8 to grade 9, grade 6 to
grade 7, or sometimes both. (Hume 2007) There are critics that argue that this
looping would prevent a critical time of when students are forming new social
networks, and these are the prime benefits of high school. Furthermore, that
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looping infantilizes teens when they should be developing both independence
and responsibility. (Hume 2007) Hume also references that there are also other
arguments that say that looping shouldn’t happen in middle school at all because
a protected, cozy environment would at times make it harder for students to
transition and adjust to high school.
Research Problem
There are various effects of looping on students in Elementary Inclusive
Classrooms. Are there positive effects of looping for students in Elementary
Inclusive Classrooms?
Method-Design
The research started with interviews with five different teachers that
have/are currently looping in Elementary Inclusive Classrooms that are educators
at Allegany Elementary School. The interviews were tape recorded and then
turned into dialectical notes. I also researched for articles that had common
themes. The questions that were used for the interviews conducted are attached
in the appendices. Specifically the research is to see if looping implementation
has positive outcomes for all students in the inclusive elementary classroom.
The interviews were approved by the Superintendent and the AlleganyLimestone Board of Education over the summer of 2009. All teachers and the
Allegany Elementary Principal also agreed for the participation in the research.
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For the confidentiality of the teachers, there have been pseudo names given to
them.
Results
When did some of these teachers loop with their classes?
Marie looped four years ago with a Developmental Kindergarten to
Kindergarten class. Lily looped two years ago and right now has a looping class,
but she is the teacher that took over for the previous one and the students are in
their second year of the looping process. So she will be referencing the class
that she did the full two year loop with. Amy looped for about the last six years
with three different looping groups that go from Kindergarten to First grade. This
is Jocelyn’s first time looping. She started last year in Third grade and is now in
Fourth grade with her looping class. (Jocelyn 2009) This is also Robin’s first year
looping. Last year she was with her First graders and now they are in Second
grade together. (Robin 2009)
What do you believe is the most negative aspect/outcome of looping?
A negative aspect would be the students becoming too comfortable with
you. You are more like a parent to them, and sometimes they will try ins and
outs to get around rules and work, similar with some parents. (Marie 2009) In
addition, if students transferred into the program, it could be hard for them to
make friends and get used to things. This happened in my class because there
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weren’t a lot of students in the Pre-Kindergarten class and to even out numbers
with the other Kindergarten classes there had to be additions to my class. Those
students did not know the routines already like the others. (Marie 2009) There
could be a negative aspect if you had a personality conflict with a parent, but I did
not see this problem with my class. (Marie 2009) A negative aspect could be
that the students know each other too well. She has seen students call out on
each other when called by a Substitute teacher to read and another student
reply, “I wouldn’t call on him because he can’t read.” So the students knowing
each other’s weaknesses too well could cause ridicule in the classroom. (Lily
2009) Also, if you have a chip on your shoulder from the first year with a
student’s attitude or something similar, it could be hard to shake off for the
coming in of the second year. Additionally, some students are more immature
than other before and/or after the looping experience, and if they are moving on
with the immaturity in the primary elementary grades they could become social
outcast in the secondary elementary grades when other students are trying to be
“cooler.” (Lily 2009) Negative aspects would be storage for the two grade levels
materials, and the lack of socialization for the students that don’t participate in
extracurricular activities. (Amy 2009) A negative aspect could be not being
exposed to other teachers and teaching strategies. Especially a negative if
another teacher is stronger in a certain subject area. Another negative is the
effect of not socializing during the second year with different children. (Jocelyn
2009) The children might be too comfortable and might not be up to the second
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grade level because of the different comfort levels implemented because of
looping. (Robin 2009)
What do you believe is the most positive aspect/outcome of looping?
One positive aspect/outcome is that you and the students don’t have any
fear and are comfortable. (Marie 2009) When you come in the second year it is
such a positive that you can pick up where you left off. You already know the
students levels, strengths and weaknesses, and you definitely get an extra month
of teaching time. (Lily 2009) Between yourself and the students, everyone is
more confident, comfortable, not as nervous, and feel at home. Amy stated that,
“you reap what you sow. The harder you work the first year, the easier the
second year will be for you.” She was stating this in thinking that the more you
try to introduce your students to and get started on, then in the second year they
will be more ready for that curriculum. Positives also include knowing the two
different curriculums very well, and while you are in the first year you don’t have
to skip over something that they will learn in the second. (Amy 2009) You can
take the time to go over it and then come back to it in the second year, and then
they will already have prior knowledge about it. With this aspect of teaching, you
can go as far as you can go with your students and don’t have to stop at
something that will be a first grade skill; you can just keep going and building on
the skills. The second year you have the great aspect that you can just pick up
where you left off, that summer vacation was truly a resting vacation time and
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then you can get back to work come September. You don’t have to go through
learning all about a new class and the same with them to you. With coming back
and picking up in September after that first year, over the summer I have the time
to go through and polish what we will work on according to where we left off,
what they need to learn or have help with, and where we still need to go. (Amy
2009) I can also see where looping would be beneficial for the shy students
because then they would be more ready to move on after the second year,
versus when not looping. (Amy 2009) You definitely have more time to work on
the curriculum and teach. This comes from the aspect that you already know
them the second year and can get right to work. (Jocelyn 2009) A great aspect is
knowing the students already and their strengths and weaknesses. You build a
relationship with the students and then they know your expectations and it is
easier to approach you. With knowing them already, you also know what to build
on and offer based on their amenities, and can help them strengthen in the areas
that they need to. (Robin 2009)
What are/were the struggles?
Some of the struggles were making sure that there were no repeats from
the year before, and she would look online for new ideas. She usually wouldn’t
repeat in non-looping circumstances anyway from year to year, but this made her
broaden her resources even more because there were two different curriculums.
(Marie 2009) For one particular student, I had to put aside issues that I had with
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them from the first year when we first came in the second year. If you are a
person that can’t put the personality clash (es) aside right away then you can
result having a bad year, or in this case with looping it could be two bad years.
(Lily 2009) This is also the same with parents that can be overbearing at times.
For the students and parents you have to bridge the gap so you can have a
comfortable experience. The student I mentioned and myself had a better
second year because we were both able to overcome the differences. (Lily 2009)
There could be struggles with yourself and your family if you had little or unborn
children to arrive. My children are grown and I wouldn’t do this if they weren’t.
That is because there is a huge time investment with looping. (Amy 2009) “I put
in a lot of extra time to make a different experience from one year to the next.”
Amy said. I also change some things from year to year according to different
student levels, new ideas, and not to get bored me with doing the same things.
You really have to keep up with things and keep working throughout the loop and
years after. (Amy 2009) Learning the new curriculum of the additional year has
been the hardest for me after the teaching the same one for a few years.
(Jocelyn 2009) Growing up with the students, helping them meet their
challenges, maturing and changing with them, and developing to make sure they
get their needs met. Some were maturing faster than others and would finish
work quicker, so you need things in place to help them to keep growing. (Robin
2009)
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What part of your job got/became easier overtime?
The part that became easier was having more materials to work with
throughout both years and after. However, even though I have been here for
years, I was still here early and leaving late from working on things, and I still am
now. (Marie 2009) There was also an abundance of trials and errors to get a
handle on what would work, and that is just from my experience. If something
didn’t work I would just toss it and move onto to trying something different.
(Marie 2009) My classroom management and curriculum definitely improved
over the two years. Our class was able to move through the day smoother
because they knew what was expected and how I wanted them to act or get
things done. (Lily 2009) The grouping became easier as well because I would
already know who worked well with someone else and based on their different
ability levels in each subject area, who could assist who if they were paired up.
Being my first year when I started the loop, it was a great help because it was
definitely a lot easier for forming the relationships with the parents, and then not
being as nervous the second year when I had to contact them for anything. (Lily
2009) Noticing when students were struggling and attacking the problem earlier
to help them was also an advantage of the looping. (Lily 2009) The more years I
add on to taking part in looping the more materials I have to work with and
interchange. I also understand the two different curriculums very well over the
years. Knowing the parents for two years also makes things easier. (Amy 2009)
It is easier that you have the same students, parents, and already know both and
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have developed relationships with them. (Jocelyn 2009) The students knowing
their expectations and therefore were better behaved. This came from keeping
routines the same, and this helped them and her. The classroom management
piece became strong because of that. (Robin 2009)
What part of your job got/became harder overtime?
I think that it was really hard letting go of the students and parents at the
end of the looping because of the closeness we developed. (Marie 2009) Like
she mentioned before just getting rid of “chips on your shoulder to start off fresh
the second year” and not hanging on to the personality clashes or behavior
problems from before. Then toward the end of the second year, you could
become less tolerable of actions/problems that you might have tolerated toward
the beginning of the second year with something that the students learned in the
first year. She also noticed that the students were getting sick of each other
toward the end of the second year. (Lily 2009) Amy states, “The hardest thing for
me is to let the children go after the two year loop. You get so close to them it is
like they are your own children.” It is hard thinking about the students and their
new teachers and someone maybe not loving them as much as you did, seeing
the positives in them as you did, and then not wanting to hear bad things about
them from the new teachers. For example, hearing from “the new teacher” that
one of your students is really chatty or not motivated when you know their
potential. The storage, time, and making completely different experiences also
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are hard. I have had great parents in all my years, but I can see where having a
difficult parent for the two years could be hard. (Amy 2009) For now she just
thinks getting to know the new curriculum is the hardest so far, but is sure there
could be other things that she will learn later on. (Jocelyn 2009) It was harder to
learn the second grade standards and curriculum. Then planning activities to
strengthen the students’ independent skills was most challenging, when I was
used to teaching a younger group. (Robin 2009)
Did you find that the same students struggled or excelled through both grades?
If so, why? (this coincides with next one)
I saw tremendous growth in all of the students, and this is referring to the
ones that were there for the whole looping experience and not just added in the
second year. All students did grow and excel, but you could see it more with the
students that were there both years. (Marie 2009) I haven’t looped lately but think
about the students that I have had since then and if I was looping. (Marie 2009)
Marie also stated that she thinks, “Wow what I could do with you if I had two
years with you instead of just one.” There were two students that struggled in the
classroom and one of them continued to struggle. With the looping process it
was easier to talk to the parents about problems. (Lily 2009) The
recommendation of Academic Intervention Services and other things for students
was easier to suggest in the second year. In reference to recommending
services, it was easier to notice the problems students were having and attack
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them earlier on. (Lily 2009) Some students that struggle in school most likely
always will. However, I tried to step in and give them extra services and help that
they needed like pushing for an Individualized Education Program for one
student and then issues about parent help or lack thereof with another student.
This was better the second year as well though because the parents also knew
the rules, consequences, and what would happen if I continually had to send
notes home and so forth. (Lily 2009) Each year there are children that go to
Montessori school, Sunshine, some other Pre-Kindergarten pre-school, and
some that go to nothing at all. When the students first come in you can see the
difference. However, with the looping process you can see where the gap
becomes smaller. Even toward the second half of the first year, it will be harder
to tell, if you can at all, which students came from which backgrounds. (Amy
2009) Over the two years you can see the process from struggling to excelling
within each student. There are usually less students in my classes that need to
go to Academic Intervention Services. You work so hard the first year, so they
don’t struggle and are ready for the second year. So there is definitely
improvement. (Amy 2009) So far, she has seen that the same students are
struggling or excelling. (Jocelyn 2009) She is not sure if it is their abilities or
comfort level like the demand versus the relationship. (Robin 2009)
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For the students that didn’t improve in the second year, do you think that they
would have benefitted more from a different teacher and/or from a different
approach? (this coincides with previous one)
Some of the teacher said that this is always possible but didn’t say
specifics about it in their interview. I don’t think that there were any that didn’t
improve. I took them where they needed to be, and with the looping we could
stretch out our goals over the two years to get there. (Marie 2009)
She has a
thought that it is possible that some students could benefit from different teachers
or a different approach. (Jocelyn 2009) There is always concern with this even
during a non-looping teacher year, and that is just based on the strengths of
another teacher over her that could take part in a certain area. (Robin 2009)
Did you notice a change in students’ grades or behaviors over the first or second
year? One more than the other?
All the students improved with their grades and behaviors. They matured
and knew the rules and consequences and what I would and would not put up
with. (Marie 2009) The behaviors for the students improved a little at the
beginning of the second year versus the first year. The rules were reestablished
and then the students started to improve more throughout the second year. (Lily
2009) There was little improvement in the grades and the students were more
able to get more into the curriculum earlier on because they didn’t have to do
introductions and lose time at the beginning of the second year. The students
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also became better at checking their work, slowed down the pace of going
through their work, and were able to conquer the impulsivity to just finish the
work as quickly as possible. You couldn’t see too much of “actual” grade change
though because in Kindergarten you mostly get Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory
and then in First grade is when you start to get actual letter grades. (Lily 2009)
The rules, rewards, and consequences are the only areas that I keep the same
over the two years from Kindergarten to First grade. Then the second year it is
easier to handle things or not have things to handle because of the consistency
that the students are familiar with and know. (Amy 2009) Notices with the
behavior changes are that the students are more independent and mature.
Academically, she thinks that it is too early to tell only being the second month in
to school. She can see where the grades could be harder for students to do well
in because they could think that, “wow there is all this extra stuff to do and less
time to do it in.” She explains how in Third grade there is mostly Reading and
Math and then in Fourth grade they add in Science and Social Studies and more
state tests, and it is all in the same amount of time the day was before. (Jocelyn
2009) The students are more mature and independent workers so far as they
are in their second year of the looping implementation. There have been
increases in several reading skills and phonics. Especially for a few students
that I have seen so far. (Robin 2009)
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Did you change the way that you taught over time?
Like I had mentioned before, I looked up more materials on the internet
and had to broaden my resources for the two curriculums. (Marie 2009) Trying to
“jazz” things up, add more centers, and add more fun into the curriculum was
what was changed for the second year. For the first year it was mostly seat work
and then the second year I tried more centers/stations. However, I think it
depends on the group you have because this group was good at and liked doing
seat work, so I ended up ditching the center/station idea more and going back to
seat work during the second year because it worked better for the students. (Lily
2009) Overtime I tweaked things and made them work better for me as I saw
how they played out when I tried or used them. I like to change things to help the
students be able to benefit as much as possible from what I am having them do.
A major thing would be not to stop with them if they are excelling and showing
first grade “tendencies/knowledge.” (Amy 2009) For example, if a student is
ready to read a First grade book in the beginning year when we are on
Kindergarten curriculum, I move them on to the First grade book and don’t hold
them back just because we are on the Kindergarten segment. Knowing both
grade levels well really helps because you can introduce concepts in the first
year (K) that you know they will get to in the second year (1 st). (Amy 2009) For
right now she is still teaching the same way, but trying to plan more and to keep
in mind that the students are more mature. (Jocelyn 2009) I am trying to work
more to increase comprehension strategies and have the students do more
Eberle 23
collaborative work together. With the collaboration piece incorporated into
dealing with a project or task and having different students accountable for
different parts/aspects of it. (Robin 2009) She also thinks that becoming more
focused on what the students’ strengths and needs are, and then knowing that I
need to develop more professionally to meet the students’ needs. (Robin 2009)
Did you take more risks with new approaches as a result of looping?
I did not take more risks but always tried new approaches anyway to
“keep myself on my toes” and then found out the things that worked and didn’t
work. (Marie 2009) The risk was trying to let the students be more independent
in the second year and that can be hard for first graders anyway. Instead of
going through step-by-step with them as we did in the first year, I tried showing
them what they had to do and then allowing them to go off and do it themselves.
(Lily 2009) Trying the center/station idea versus seatwork was also a risk taken
and then changed because that didn’t work well with that group. (Lily 2009)
Looping forces you to take more risks in some sense. Some students are ready
to excel right away, there are always gaps between levels and especially as I
mentioned in the beginning, and you can take children different places and help
work with them where they are. Students definitely learn from each other and
that should be incorporated. I have had a student who was an English as a
Second Language learner and then another student who was reading at a Fourth
grade level. In order to make everything that you are doing work, you have to put
Eberle 24
more time, effort, and take some risks with what you are teaching. I would do the
same things that needed to be achieved in Kindergarten and First grade like
calendar and letters and everything, but then I would integrate other things
(differentiate) for the lower and higher level students. I also didn’t focus any of
my centers on the lower students. I centered on what needed to be achieved
with the curriculum and then used the different integration (differentiating). (Amy
2009) She has built-in more projects this year and other things that she hasn’t
done in the past. This is from knowing the students better, knowing they can be
more independent in their work, and now the students themselves have more
confidence that they can accomplish different things. Overall she is keeping the
same approach, but is looking at ways that she can change things this year and
in the future. (Jocelyn 2009) Some of the students thought that their lockers and
classroom were going to be changed, but they were the same as the year before.
There was change in some of the décor, but so far it is too expensive to replace
all of it to have everything new to them as well. (Jocelyn 2009) Robin says that
she has taken more risks based on the curriculum and knowing about the
students’ Third grade testing that they have to come in the year ahead. Her
focus is on Math and Reading to supplement what they will need to do in Third
grade and risking that she is asking more of them and at a higher level. She is
changing with the curriculum and the maturity level of the work she puts out. She
used to do more teacher directed/paced activities, centers, and art projects. Now
in the second year of the loop, she is trying more mini lessons, introductions to
Eberle 25
what the students need to do, and then letting them work independently or in
their collaborative groups. (Robin 2009)
If you didn’t change much, did you keep the same approach as if it were a new
class or come at the year a little differently?
I kept the same approach for the most part, but I did treat them as I would
have any other Kindergarten class versus the Pre-Kindergarten class with
expecting more from them. (Marie 2009) In the changes that I made I set up the
room differently, used different toys, completely different calendar, used different
materials, the room was switched from tables to desks, changed the centers, and
did different art and other projects. (Amy 2009) I would love to someday be able
to switch rooms with say a “looping partner” that would be on the opposite year
from me, but so far I haven’t found anyone who wants to do that. (Amy 2009)
She has students at all levels, and for now is still using the same approach but
looks to change things later. (Jocelyn 2009) Changing with the curriculum and
maturity level was a need. (Robin 2009)
Did your ability to accommodate different abilities change with looping?
I think that since it was two beginning grades of the Elementary level, I
approached it as if I would have with just a Kindergarten class where most
students are pulled out for anything and everyone is “treated the same” unless
certain circumstances. (Marie 2009) However, after the second year, the
Eberle 26
students were more caught up to each other in ability level and grew more
together in the first year. There were still the high students and low students but
there was a smaller gap. (Marie 2009) With the extra time and then knowing the
students better, with their strengths, weaknesses, and needs, it was easier to
accommodate them. During the grouping I could change to the heterogeneous
grouping and have the higher level students do a task on their own and then put
my focus more on the lower level students and help them during that activity.
This was with the whole group and then being able to assign them to work more
independently and then being able to go and assist the students that needed it
the most. (Lily 2009) My ability to accommodate I would say was the same as
when I didn’t have a looping class years ago. I would have the same concept for
everyone, and then just integrate the different aspects and ideas for the lower
and higher level students. (Amy 2009) I have higher and lower achieving
students every year, and for now I am just accommodating the same way that I
would’ve without looping because this is just my first year doing the process.
(Jocelyn 2009) Her ability to accommodate to the student with special needs
changes with what the students’ weaknesses are. She tries to participate with
her peers, in online blogs, with professional group discussions, reading online
articles, and meeting with peers to see what she can do to help her students.
(Robin 2009)
Eberle 27
Did your students have trouble with the social transition of moving to a new
classroom community after being a part of yours for two years?
From what I know, all the students did well. None of the teachers came to
me after the transition and said that anyone had a hard time. (Marie 2009) For
the circumstance that I was in at Limestone, those students always stay together
and then just move up and grade with a different teacher. I just happened to loop
with them because I taught them in Kindergarten, I was then moved to be the
new First grade teacher, and then I was with them again. I was asked and did
agree with this as did the parents of the children. Therefore, these students
didn’t have trouble transitioning on to the next grade. (Lily 2009) The class that I
have taken over for now, is a looping class, but I am the new factor, I can see
some troubles come time for transitioning. There is a group of girls that has
stuck together tightly since they were together last year as well, I can see that if
they are not placed with one or more of them in the next year’s class they may
have trouble making friends at first. However, with the whole first grade team we
do centers and switch the students throughout different teachers’ classrooms
each week and they are with different first graders. To try to help the predicted
problem that I have, I make sure that I split those girls up amongst classrooms
and centers so they aren’t all together. Shy students can do well within a looping
process, but I could see where they could have difficulty leaving after two years
of developing all that comfort with that class and teacher. (Lily 2009) Initially for
the students that don’t do extracurricular activities and just know the students
Eberle 28
that they are with for the two years would be the students that might have trouble
for a short period of time with the transition. I can also see where looping would
be beneficial for the shy students because then they would be more ready to
move on after the second year, versus when not looping. (Amy 2009) Since this
is her first year she does not know, but hopes that the students won’t have
trouble transitioning. She can see where that could happen though. (Jocelyn
2009) With this being my first year, I am thinking about the future for these
students transitioning. However, this class is well-rounded socially, there is no
over-bonding present, and I think that they will do well when they need to
transition and will blossom by the end of the year and be ready to move on.
(Robin 2009)
How did your special needs students do with the transitioning?
There were only two students with special needs in my classroom. They
did not move on to the second year with me, but did well with where they
transitioned to anyway. (Marie 2009) One student, who used a wheelchair, had
to be moved to a different Kindergarten classroom because with the addition of
other students for the Kindergarten part of the loop in the second year, the room
was too small for him to maneuver around in. The other student with special
needs was such a low achieving student and with her needs had to be moved
into a different school setting that was more appropriate for her. (Marie 2009)
There was one student in my looping group before but he wasn’t put in until the
Eberle 29
second year. He didn’t have trouble transitioning though because as I mentioned
before, in Limestone the students go to the next grade together anyway. He is
already with so many different people and students throughout the day anyway,
for all of his services, that he will be fine there. However, when he goes to
Middle School where the schools are merged (Allegany and Limestone become
Allegany-Limestone for the Middle and High School) I do think that he will have
trouble because he gets along better with adults. The ratio of students is much
greater over there and I don’t know if he would feel overwhelmed, lost, or
something else. (Lily 2009) The looping experience for the student with special
needs can be beneficial because they need routine, and looping has the aspect
where most concrete ideas like rules and consequences are the same for both
years. For thinking about these students outside of looping, our principal does a
great job with letting the student with special needs and their parent know what
class they are in, where it is, and who is in it in June/July time so the student has
all summer to get ready for that transition. (Amy 2009) Again, as her first year is
just predicting that the students with special needs might have trouble
transitioning because sometimes the students with special needs already have
social issues without the fact of the looping process to begin with. (Jocelyn 2009)
So far it has been smooth for the students with special needs and as long as they
move into a structured classroom they should do fine next year. In the class right
now they know the routines, what is expected, who their peers are, and we have
Eberle 30
the organization and a daily agenda that we go over every morning of what we
are going to do. (Robin 2009)
Other thoughts
Marie stated that, “looping is a good thing for everyone to try, no matter
what level it is I think. I hear people say only in the other grades but I don’t know
for sure. But you think that you see a lot of growth in one year, you should see
them in two years, and the only problem that I see is that you get so attached to
them.” Lily loved the looping experience and would recommend it to anyone and
everyone if they get the chance. For her first two years of teaching, to have that
experience really helps you become more confident and relaxed with what you
are doing. She has a thought that maybe in the secondary elementary is a better
time when looping could occur, and that all students should get the opportunities
to meet all the other different students and personalities that are outside of their
looping classroom. (Lily 2009) With all the experience that Amy has had, she
has had two families that chose not to loop their child with her. One family
wanted a different approach because Amy’s classroom is not necessarily quiet
because there is a lot going on, and this student needed more quiet time to be
able to do his/her work. With the other family, it was recommended that their
child or another one in the class to be moved to a different class because the two
children had irresolvable differences. (Amy 2009) One time there were twins in
my class and I think that it might have been more beneficial for one or both of
Eberle 31
them to be moved out into a different class the second year. This is because
they were already so much alike when they came in the first year, Amy thought
that maybe they could’ve started growing more individual identities the second
year if separated. This would have to have been a parent choice and the
parent(s) chose to leave them together. They did great, but she just thought they
might have done better separated. (Amy 2009) Overall, with her experience
there are many positives from the parents, and the teachers the students have
after her compliment on how prepared her students are when they come in.
Even with experience from a family that has three children, and this family liked
the looping so much and the outcome(s) that they had all three children go
through this experience and specifically in her classroom. (Amy 2009) So far she
loves it, and having a good group of students has made this trial easier. Jocelyn
also stated that some of her students did take part in a Kindergarten to First loop
before, and hasn’t noticed yet but said maybe they have an advantage from that
aspect. (Jocelyn 2009) “Looping is very positive and especially at this level
where the students are maturing and developing their inner self, their own
responsibility, and organization,” Robin said. Looping helps the students to be
comfortable in an environment, they are with others for collaborative learning,
they can learn from each other, and they already have a relationship within a
community that they can be successful in. (Robin 2009)
Eberle 32
Discussion
From the articles to the interviews, looping is supported to be a great
implementation in the Inclusive Elementary classrooms. There are many
benefits for the students, teachers, parents, and schools. Many overarching
themes are comfort on different levels, more time to teach and learn, deeper
knowledge, better able to accommodate in different areas, and overall, helpful
for students at the Elementary level for various reasons. On the other hand,
negatives that arise from the articles and interviews are that students may
become immature, have a hard time transitioning, become tired of each other,
lack new friendship possibilities, and not learn from a different approach.
Teachers in the looping implementation have to stay on their toes, know two
curriculums, and put a lot more time in because you are essentially teaching two
different grades and curriculums. Many of the teachers are working toward being
more professionally prepared for their students, up to date on new ideas, and
keep changing and developing new practices to implement.
Appendices
Eberle A1
Interview Questions for the Case Study
When did you do looping with your class?
What do you believe is the most negative aspect/outcome of looping?
What do you believe is the most positive aspect/outcome of looping?
What are/were the struggles?
What part of your job got/became easier overtime?
What part of your job got/became harder overtime?
Did you find that the same students struggled or excelled through both grades?
If so, why?
For the students that didn’t improve in the second year, do you think that they
would have benefited more from a different teacher and/or from a different
approach?
Did you notice a change in students’ grades or behaviors over the first or second
year? One more than the other?
Did you change the way that you teach/taught over time?
Did you take more risks with new approaches as a result of looping?
If you didn’t change much, did you keep the same approach as if it were a new
class or come at the year a little differently?
Did your ability to accommodate different abilities change with looping?
Eberle A2
Did your students have trouble with the social transition of moving to a new
classroom community after being apart of yours for two years?
How did your special needs students do with the transitioning?
Eberle A3
Works Cited
Amy. Personal Interview. Conducted October 19, 2009.
Burke, Daniel L. (1997). Looping: Adding Time, Strengthening Relationships.
ERIC Digest.
Does Looping Enhance Student Achievement? (Meeks)
Hume, Karen. (2007). Academic Looping: Problem or Solution? Education
Canada, 47, 63.
Jocelyn. Personal Interview. Conducted October 20, 2009.
Lily. Personal Interview. Conducted October 16, 2009.
Marie. Personal Interview. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
Robin. Personal Interview. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
Savrock, Joe. (2005, June). Little Impact Seen in Multiyear Teacher
Assignments on Early Elementary Students. Retrieved from http://www.
edu.psu.edu/news/looping.asp