View in EDS

Creating Classes: Elementary School Classroom Assignments and Their Implications for Student Access to High-Quality Teaching. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1325

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Creating Classes: Elementary School Classroom Assignments and Their Implications for Student Access to High-Quality Teaching. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1325
Language: English
Authors: Christopher Brooks, Thurston Domina, Lora Cohen-Vogel, Cari Carson, Matthew G. Springer, Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Source: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 2025.
Availability: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 46
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Grade 5
Intermediate Grades
Middle Schools
Descriptors: Elementary Schools, School Demography, Student Characteristics, Student Placement, Cluster Grouping, Classroom Environment, Public Schools, Teaching Experience, Teacher Effectiveness, Educational Practices, Mathematics Education, Grade 5, Elementary School Students, Grouping (Instructional Purposes)
Geographic Terms: North Carolina
Abstract: We investigate the distribution of students across classrooms in North Carolina elementary schools. While tracking is ubiquitous and well-documented in secondary education, limited evidence exists regarding cross-classroom clustering in elementary schools and its consequences. Consistent with qualitative evidence suggesting that educators seek to create demographically balanced classrooms, we find that students are distributed quite evenly across their schools' classrooms based on race, ethnicity, and family economic background. However, we find that some elementary schools create classrooms in which students are clustered based on their prior achievement as well as their eligibility for gifted education or special education services. This clustering is most prominent in large schools, schools with highly experienced teachers, and schools in which parents have a high degree of influence. Skills-based classroom clustering is associated with inequalities in student access to high-quality teaching. These findings extend the study of classroom-level categorical inequalities to the elementary grades.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED678233
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED678233
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: ED678233
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Report
PubTypeId: report
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Creating Classes: Elementary School Classroom Assignments and Their Implications for Student Access to High-Quality Teaching. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1325
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Christopher+Brooks%22">Christopher Brooks</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Thurston+Domina%22">Thurston Domina</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lora+Cohen-Vogel%22">Lora Cohen-Vogel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cari+Carson%22">Cari Carson</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Matthew+G%2E+Springer%22">Matthew G. Springer</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Annenberg+Institute+for+School+Reform+at+Brown+University%22">Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Annenberg+Institute+for+School+Reform+at+Brown+University%22"><i>Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University</i></searchLink>. 2025.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: N
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 46
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Intermediate+Grades%22">Intermediate Grades</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Middle+Schools%22">Middle Schools</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+Schools%22">Elementary Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Demography%22">School Demography</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Characteristics%22">Student Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Placement%22">Student Placement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cluster+Grouping%22">Cluster Grouping</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Classroom+Environment%22">Classroom Environment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Schools%22">Public Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Experience%22">Teaching Experience</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Effectiveness%22">Teacher Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Practices%22">Educational Practices</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematics+Education%22">Mathematics Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grouping+%28Instructional+Purposes%29%22">Grouping (Instructional Purposes)</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22North+Carolina%22">North Carolina</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: We investigate the distribution of students across classrooms in North Carolina elementary schools. While tracking is ubiquitous and well-documented in secondary education, limited evidence exists regarding cross-classroom clustering in elementary schools and its consequences. Consistent with qualitative evidence suggesting that educators seek to create demographically balanced classrooms, we find that students are distributed quite evenly across their schools' classrooms based on race, ethnicity, and family economic background. However, we find that some elementary schools create classrooms in which students are clustered based on their prior achievement as well as their eligibility for gifted education or special education services. This clustering is most prominent in large schools, schools with highly experienced teachers, and schools in which parents have a high degree of influence. Skills-based classroom clustering is associated with inequalities in student access to high-quality teaching. These findings extend the study of classroom-level categorical inequalities to the elementary grades.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: ED678233
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED678233
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 46
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Elementary Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Demography
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Characteristics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Placement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cluster Grouping
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Classroom Environment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teaching Experience
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Effectiveness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Practices
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mathematics Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 5
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grouping (Instructional Purposes)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: North Carolina
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Creating Classes: Elementary School Classroom Assignments and Their Implications for Student Access to High-Quality Teaching. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1325
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Christopher Brooks
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Thurston Domina
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Lora Cohen-Vogel
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Cari Carson
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Matthew G. Springer
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 11
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
              Type: main
ResultId 1