Multigrade Helping Relationship Program; A Third Year Evaluation of the ESEA Title III. End of Project Report.

The purpose of the program described in this report was to improve reading and other basic skills of third- and sixth-grade children by providing a program in which sixth-grade children tutored third-grade children. Three classrooms of third-grade children and three classrooms of sixth-grade children were involved in this endeavor over a three-year period of time. During the first two years of the project, there were minimal reading score gains. During the final year of the project it was shown that more than half of the children in each grade gained more than they had the preceding year. Some of the other findings were that teachers participated in inservice programs extensively, developed and modified units of instruction, and utilized a variety of major curriculum systems. Attendance rose in the entire school during the three years. Research skills showed only minimal gains on a standardized test. A test of children's attitudes indicated that they liked each other and liked what they were doing. Teachers indicated positive feelings about themselves and the program. (MKM)