Forget grade levels — schools try something new

Forget about students spending one year in each grade, with the entire class learning the same skills at the same time. Districts from Alaska to Maine are taking a different route.

Instead of simply moving kids from one grade to the next as they get older, schools are grouping students by ability. Once they master a subject, they move up a level. This practice has been around for decades, but was generally used on a smaller scale, in individual grades, subjects or schools.

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH

Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/03/AR2010070301783.html?hpid=sec-education