Effect of Looping on Children at Risk

¶ … Looping on at-Risk Children

ABSRACT

Review of the Literature

Operational Definitions

Setting/Site

Instruments and Materials

F. Design and Procedures

G. Data Analysis

EFFECTS OF LOOPING ON AT-RISK CHILDREN

This chapter will introduce the educational process of looping, as well as evaluate the benefits that looping can have on students. It will also address the individual needs of at-risk children, and explain how looping effects these children.

Looping, which is also known as multiyear teaching or multiyear placement, occurs when teachers are promoted with their students to the next grade level, staying with the same group of children for two or three years.

For example, in a looping situation, the teacher would teach a class of first grade students and then remain with those students another year as their second grade teacher. At the end of the second grade, the same teacher would return to first grade to teach a new group of students. This practice takes advantage of additional time together for teacher and students.

Looping is especially designed for the diverse populations school districts are faced with today, especially at-risk students (Forsten, 1997). These include children who are homeless, have families in crisis, have been or are being emotionally or physically abused, are learning disabled and require a variety of special services, have untreated health problems, or are under emotional stress.

Schools have traditionally been places of support and nurturing, and the looping process can strengthen this tradition by offering continuity for children with special needs.

Many teachers praise the benefits of looping; saying that they feel that looping helps establish a greater bond between teachers and students (p. 57). Therefore, less time is spent with the initial teaching stage of getting to know students, and more time is spent on the actual teaching itself.

With looping, teachers can introduce curriculum topics immediately at the start of the school year, rather than spending a lot of time establishing classroom routines and expectations. This means that students have more time to learn and have the advantage of a richer curriculum.

Outside of an enhanced curriculum, looping benefits teachers and students by presenting them with a greater opportunity to get to know each other better. After one year, a teacher usually has at least a basic knowledge of an individual student's skills and strengths. After two or more years, there is a greater chance of developing a strong bond with the students.

These strong relationships are especially important for at-risk students, as it is crucial that a teacher knows and understands the additional needs of these students. By being with a teacher for two years, the students tend to feel more comfortable and are more likely to take risks and open up.

While looping helps teachers meet the individual needs of students, it also gives them more time to consider the best interests of the children. Teachers can take the time to observe their students, postponing high-stakes decisions, such as special education referrals or social and economic recommendations, until they are absolutely sure they have made the right decisions.

B. Statement of the Research Problem

In today's society, teachers are expected to socialize children as well as to educate them (Clune, 1995) Many parents choose public schools for socialization reasons, rather than academic reasons, over private or home school. Over the past few decades, schools have been pressured to increase their socialization guidelines, and are encouraged to implement programs that benefit at-risk children.

Recent research has identified a variety of risk factors that contribute to the development of antisocial behavior and educational problems, in addition to protective factors that help children develop the necessary skills and behaviors to overcome risk. Most antisocial behavior develops from a combination of risk factors associated with individuals, families, schools, and communities (Thornberry, 1994).

In addition, research shows that antisocial behavior increases over the course of childhood, often beginning in the preschool and elementary years and reaching its peak in late adolescence. Studies show that early intervention works wonders to stop its progress. However, if antisocial patterns are firmly established, they become harder to change and can persist into adulthood (p. 11).

General Risk Factors

There are many general factors put all children at risk for antisocial behavior and educational problems. While the presence of multiple factors increases risk, the elimination of factors reduces risk. There are three types of general risk factors that must be addressed (Brooks, 1994, p. 550):

Individual risk factors. Various inborn traits and characteristics related to personality, temperament, and cognitive ability are risk factors for delinquent behavior. While they do not necessarily lead to misbehavior or crime, they make children more susceptible to other risks in the environment.

Family/community/societal risk factors. Family characteristics, as well as community and societal factors, can increase risk for antisocial behavior.

School-related risk factors. Various school factors can be linked to delinquent behavior.

Individual risk factors include impulsivity; the inability to understand consequences; the inability to delay gratification; the inability to self-regulate emotions; the excessive need for stimulation and excitement; low harm avoidance; low frustration tolerance; central nervous system dysfunction; aggressive behavior; low general aptitude; increased exposure to violence and abuse; alienation; rebelliousness; association with deviant peers; deviant behavior; peer rejection; alcohol and drug abuse; and aggressive or problem behavior (Thornberry, Hawkins, 1995).

Family/community/societal risk factors include economic deprivation and unemployment; deviant behavior of parents; poor parental supervision; poor parental education; family conflict; disruption in care giving; out-of-home placement; poor relationship between child and family; low community attachment and community disorganization; parental alcoholism or drug abuse; social alienation of the community; availability of drugs and guns; high community turnover; and exposure to violence. (Thornberry, Hawkins, p. 17).

School-based risk factors include academic failure; poor test scores; lack of commitment to school; lack of belief in the validity of rules; early aggressive behavior; lack of relationships with teachers; lack of aspirations and goals; peer rejection and social alienation; low morale; academic disorganization; poor monitoring and management of students; and poor adaptation to school. (Thornberry, Hawkins).

Resiliency: Overcoming Risk

Studies show that the majority of children succeed in life despite exposure to multiple risks. Children who are able to thrive despite risks are labeled as resilient (Brooks, p. 553) Researchers have identified looping as a teaching method that can help promote resilience and prevent negative outcomes.

Protective factors, which are located within individuals, families, communities, and schools, act against risk factors. Because effects of protective factors are cumulative - the more factors present, the greater their influence (Thornberry).

Schools that foster high self-esteem and promote social and scholastic success, increasing protective factors, reduce the likelihood of emotional and behavioral disturbance. Looping enables teachers to establish high expectations for all students, including at-risk children, because they can better design classroom instruction to accommodate individual ability levels, and increase actual learning time (Hawkins).

C. Review of the Literature

Looping, as a design alternative to the traditional one-year pairing of a teacher with a group of students, is a method of teaching that allows a teacher to remain with the same class for a period of two or more years (Forsten, Grant, Johnson, & Richardson, 1997). It is a growing movement in the United States, inspired by a number of initiatives that have proposed establishing long-term relationships between teachers and students.

Since there have been few formal studies completed regarding looping, there is little empirical evidence to support looping. However, the result of a study by Milburn at the University of British Columbia, shows that looping can have a positive effect (Milburn, 1981). In a controlled study of the combined effects of multi-age classes and persistence in group, Milburn tracked the progress of children in similar urban schools during a five-year period.

Milburn's findings showed little difference in achievement level of skills yet showed a significant difference in attitude toward school. He attributed these positive differences in attitude to the comfortable atmosphere marked by prolonged student-student, teacher-parent and student-teacher relationships.

Milburn's findings (1981) supported the potential for adjustments in the curriculum the second year a teacher instructed a group. Teachers that worked with the same group of students for at least two years would be in a better position to evaluate students' progress and prevent unnecessary repetition of instruction than the teacher who had no previous contact with the students.

Looping essentially obligates a group of students and their teacher to remain together for more than one year. Continuity of the group rather than class size is of greatest importance (Forsten et al., 1997; Grant et al., 1996; Wynn & Walberg, 1994). Looping compels teachers to move with students as they are promoted to the next grade.

The first year in looping is much like that of the traditional one-year classroom. Teachers say that most of the benefits of looping come in the second year. During the second year, the instructional time in the classroom is used differently than in a one-year classroom. At the end of the first year of looping, a teacher can spend more time on academic instruction instead of losing the class experience. The end of the school year is not characterized as the ending of a class, but instead as the beginning of a longer break.

Among the most frequently mentioned benefits of looping are: the relationships that develop; the use of time; the possibility of increased academic achievement; the development of a cohesive curriculum; and the stability offered by looping.

At the heart of a successful looping classroom are the continuity of relationships and the learning environment" (Forsten et al., 1997, p. 13). Teachers with experience in looping say that an extended period with children allows for more bonding opportunities than the regular classroom.

Speaking as a looping teacher, Liu (1997) stresses the importance of the relationships between teachers and students as being crucial to students' academic and psychological development. According to Liu, the longer student-teacher relationships last, the greater chance they have of positive influence.

Hampton et al. (1997) studied teachers as they began the second or third year with a preexisting knowledge of each child's abilities and personality and of the child's home life. The teachers could use the individual strengths and weaknesses of the children to help them achieve their goals.

These teachers "did not feel compelled to drag students through material that should be covered in a particular grade. Students work toward understanding and mastery -- surpassing grade-level expectations in some areas, while they are given more time to mature in others" (p. 8).

Stability was a common theme in the discussions of teachers as they spoke of looping.. Simel (1998) recorded teachers' reactions to looping. One teacher described what she believed, "The child feels like school is a second home.... You can tell by the way they act" (p. 336). Another teacher said, "Half these kids call me mom because I don't think they get it at home, the stability. So I guess this will be a great stable environment for kids who don't have that at home" (p. 336).

According to Lincoln (1997), a school official, stability is important in today's society, where adult-child relationships tend to be weak, due to such conditions as single parenthood, blended families, and families where both parents work.

Looping provides an additional measure of stability by strengthening relationships between students and teachers. (p. 58) "For students with special problems, social or academic, teachers viewed looping as offering stability that is vital to their progress" (p. 24).

Over 20% of America's children now live at or below the poverty level; nearly 8,200 cases of child abuse and neglect are reported each day; well over a million children are "latchkey kids" and on any given day, there are an estimated 100,000 homeless children. Add to this list the increased number of children undernourished or malnourished, chemically damaged by drugs and fear, or traumatized by family instability, and it's easy to see how the Carnegie Foundation concluded that 35% of America's children come to school unprepared to learn. The rising interest in multiage and looping classrooms is in direct response to the diverse needs of today's children." (Forsten, p. 15)

Looping helps to create a school environment where all students feel an equal sense of value and belonging. This environment has proven itself to help at-risk students succeed. Research shows that consistency and continuity spanning two or more years were key elements in individual success stories of at-risk children.

Students with difficult home lives can feel more stability and trust with an adult who stays in their lives longer than the typical one-year classroom teacher. The classroom atmosphere the second year, becomes one of familiarity where routines, discipline plans, and expectations are predictable.

According to Patricia Crosby, a 7th and 8th grade language arts and social studies teacher, the trust a student has in a teacher can become even more important as children become adolescents (Rasmussen, 1998). "They ask you questions they don't always think they can ask their parents. And because you know them so well you can observe any changes in behavior that might indicate problems, such as drug or alcohol abuse." (Rasmussen, 1998).

Crosby believes that many adolescent lives have been saved because of a strong relationship with a mentor, often a teacher, and that looping is an excellent way to present students with the opportunity to develop a bond with teachers who remain with them for more than one year. (Rasmussen).

According to Jan Jubert, a 1st and 2nd grade teacher, looping "provides opportunities for students who might otherwise fall through the cracks of the education system." (Rasmussen, p. 28).

Of Jubert's 15 students, the majority come from low socioeconomic backgrounds and is identified as at-risk students. On of the students in the class is deaf and needs an interpreter.

In addition, the ability levels of the students range from disabled to gifted and talented. Jubert is confident that equal opportunity, which requires equal education, enables her students to set and reach their life goals, and that looping strongly supports equal education. (Rasmussen).

Children today join gangs because they want to feel they are a part of a group and feel accepted," says Jubert. "Looping makes children feel secure. At-risk kids are starving for this." (Rasmussen, p. 28).

Due to the fact that a lot of parents today are single parents, or work more than one job, students lack bonds with adults. Because it usually takes teachers at least a year to develop a level of trust with students, students often do not develop bonds with their teachers. However, if a student spends two or three years with a teacher, they really get to know and trust them. As a result, students benefit from the time and high-quality instruction needed to succeed. (Rasmussen).

In Jubert's case, she has more time to teach and can consider the individual needs of each student. Therefore, she "covers more material, offers more hands-on activities to her students, and designs activities using multiple intelligences theories that will help children learn the way they learn best." She cites high attendance, increased test scores, improved self-esteem, and a love of learning as the results of looping. (Rasmussen, p. 28).

An additional benefit of looping for at-risk students is that their parents tend to feel more comfortable talking to teachers. As parents get to know teachers, they relax more and view them as caring human beings. As a result, they can communicate with the teachers on a deeper level.

When a good relationship between parents and teachers is established, at-risk students benefit because the adults learn how o help each other to ultimately help the children.

D. Hypothesis

Studies show that one of the most critical factors influencing the positive development of at-risk children is attachment to at least one adult who believes in the child and provides acceptance and support for the child (Hawkins, 1995).

Pro-social behavior often occurs when children bond with pro-social adults, such as parents and teachers, adopting their beliefs and values (Hawkins). On the other hand, antisocial behavior occurs when children bond to antisocial individuals, like gang members, adopting their beliefs and values.

For positive bonding to occur, there must be an opportunity for bonding to take place, as well as cognitive and social skills to support the bonding opportunities and a consistent system of recognition and reinforcement for accomplishments (Hawkins).

A resilient temperament, social competence, and cognitive skills all serve as protective factors that help children participate successfully in positive bonding opportunities. Recognition reinforces right from wrong and provides an incentive for bonding.

Without looping, on the first day of every school year, teachers must learn a whole new set of names and work toward helping the students understand classroom procedures. Students need time to learn and understand the requirements and goals of a new teacher. With looping, teachers simply take attendance and start teaching.

In many schools, looping is implemented to help teachers deal with the difficulties of dealing with at-risk children due to the short time they had to work with these students.

Without looping, teachers complained that just when they felt they knew these students enough to respond to their strengths, weaknesses, unique talents and learning styles, they had to pass them along to another teacher.

The benefits of looping include the flexibility that gives a teacher the opportunity to use topics and experiences from the previous year. Another benefit is enhanced bonding, between teachers, students and parents. For example, a teacher that is going into her second year with her class will be able to ask them personal questions rather than simply "What is your name?"

For at-risk children, this bonding is crucial. Research shows that attachment to just one caring, responsible adult works wonders in helping at-risk children. A recent study of the effects of remediation on delinquency showed that the child's bond with the tutor affected school attitude and behavior more significantly than improved grades (Keilitz, 1986).

This research paper aims to prove that looping helps at-risk students form attachments to school and positive role models. Because looping policies and practices ensure that teachers, students, parents, and communities have the time and opportunity to get to know each other, at-risk children can benefit enormously from the procedure.

The importance of establishing a strong relationship between teachers and students is best seen in inner-city schools, where demographic disadvantages place most students at risk. Inner city students tend to face barriers, such as high poverty, homelessness, and lack of formal education among parents.

This study aims to show that educators can benefit from the stability of looping by connecting with these at-risk students and showing a caring attitude for an extended period of time. Looping, along with incentives for attendance and recognizing students' work, may help at-risk students find greater success (Haslinger, 1996)

III. METHOD

A. Research Question Overview

In an effort to improve the public school system in the United States, educators are constantly facing the problem of how to improve the quality of education. At national, state and local levels, schools are looking at different ways to improve educational standards.

Looping has proven to be a useful tool in ensuring that teachers meet the individual needs of students; it also gives them more time to consider the best interests of the children. As a direct result of looping, teachers have been able to develop stronger bonds and trusting relationships with students.

If building long-term relationships allows teachers to understand their students better, this should lead to improved instruction and higher levels of student progress for all students. In addition, looping should help eliminate risk factors for at-risk students, who usually lack positive influences in their lives.

This study aims to show the effects of looping on at-risk children, taking into account the educational and sociological benefits of the procedure.

B. Operational Definitions

Looping is an educational plan in which the teacher and students remain together long-term as an instructional unit. Specifically, looping is a pattern of persistence in a group environment that promotes long-term relationships between teachers and students. Under a looping plan, grade progression is organized so that a teacher and students remain together as an instructional unit for at least two years.

Other terms for looping are: "continuous learning," "continuous progress," "persisting groups," "multi-year grouping," "teacher/student progression," "family style learning," "two-cycle teaching," and "teacher rotation." (Forsten, p. 16) The "essence of looping is the promotion of strong, extended, meaningful, positive interpersonal relationships between teachers and students that foster increased student motivation and, in turn, stimulate improved learning outcomes for students." (Grant, 1996)

C. Subjects

Since looping is more dominant in the elementary grades, participants in this study were elementary classroom teachers who have had experience in looping. The teachers involved in my study teach in local elementary schools. This study focuses on views of teachers because my hypothesis holds that the teacher remains at the heart of the educational dynamic.