Abstract
Statement of the problem. There is national concern regarding the current academic achievement and social adjustment of children and the apparent failure of the educational structure to address the issue successfully. The calls to reform the educational system in this country are heard from political, social, and community pulpits. Looping is one design being explored to improve the educational experience of students. To determine the effectiveness of looping, research is required to investigate its impact on factors known to improve student academic growth and social adjustment. Methodology. This study was a descriptive ex post facto case study. To determine levels of parent involvement in looping and conventional classrooms, 198 parent surveys were collected. The School Attitude Measure, an instrument designed to assess the student attitudes of self-concept, motivation, instructional mastery, and sense of control was completed by 307 students from looping and conventional classrooms in four northern California schools. Nine teachers currently teaching in the second year of a loop were interviewed about the benefits and drawbacks of the looping structure. Findings. This study found that the parents of primary students in looping classrooms are more involved with their child's education on six of the seven behaviors addressed in this study's parent survey. The parents of intermediate looping students are more involved in two of the behaviors. First and second grade students in looping classrooms had more positive attitudes about school. However, no clear pattern emerged relative to the impact of looping on student attitudes in intermediate classrooms. Student sense of control was the only school attitude for third and fourth grade students in which looping had a positive effect. None of the student attitudes investigated for fifth and sixth grade students were effected by the looping structure. The teachers interviewed for this study believed that looping positively impacted the relationships and academic growth of their students. Conclusions. Looping increases parent involvement and improves student attitudes in primary classrooms. Looping is also an effective classroom structure in the intermediate grades for improving parent involvement in school governance and attendance at parent education activities.