Blackcat, if they simply "cluster" them and then leave them entirely on their own, that certainly sounds like poor instruction. It is hard to imagine that decent teacher would even try to justify that arrangement. Hopefully, this is NOT the case. How many "groups" is the teacher instructing during this "clustering"? How does she instruct this "cluster"? How does she "instruct" them on their enrichment materials? Perhaps the teacher needs to consider these questions...hmmm (or maybe she can clarify).
I do think working with multiple groups within a classroom is challenging (to say the least), but most schools have students with a range of abilities within a classroom. I think that, at the moment, my DD8's school is doing similar ability-grouping in reading within the classroom. (I actually hoping this is temporary. Although I do not love this arrangement for DD, she is currently going through the process for selection the school's G&T program, so I am trying to be patient until this is completed). DD says that the teacher spends time with each group (I believe there are 5!). For math, they change classes, and the classes are grouped and paced by ability (I think this actually works better from what I have observed - the group actually has its own teacher!).
I sometimes dream of a self-contained magnet, though!
