The Joplin plan is an educational plan that consists of sorting students into mixed age groups. All students within the group are around the same learning ability. For example, a mathematics class may have low performing third graders, average second graders and high performing first graders, all of which are learning the same concepts. This plan first became popular around 1957 in the United
. States, but its use has declined since the 1960s. It mainly involves grouping students in different grades for math and reading instruction. The rest of the day, the students spend in their regular grade with classmates in the same grade. The idea behind the Joplin plan is to allow high achieving students the ability to keep moving on and not get held back by lower achieving students. The Joplin plan was also created to allow lower achieving students more one on one time with teachers, which is thought to help them achieve their math and reading goals. Studies of the Joplin plan have shown that it does increase reading achievement. Opponents of the plan dislike separating out children in the same grade who are performing at different levels. They feel that all the children should remain in the same grade and learn the same materials. Proponents of the method believe that separating the children out into mixed age groups for math and reading helps ensure that higher achieving students are consistently challenged, while also pushing lower achieving students to do their best. The plan calls for a frequent reassessment of each student's ability levels. This means that children may move up, or down, depending on how they are doing, which is thought to ensure that they remain in a class that challenges them, but is not excessively hard. The Joplin plan also calls for fairly small groups, which helps ensure that teachers are able to focus on each student and give more individual attention. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED013708&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED013708 or http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-927/grouping.htm
