If you had walked into the classrooms at my Rockford, Illinois, elementary school a few years ago, you would have seen something very different from what happens there today. Back then, like many schools, students stayed in their grade-level classrooms throughout the day, and we delivered reading instruction accordingly.
On paper, that seemed like the right approach. But in reality, it left too many students behind — and failed to challenge others who were ready to move forward.
So, we decided to do something bold…