A familiar ring

Some innovations in modern classrooms have deep roots in American education. Take the Gordonville Attendance Center, a small school in the Jackson School District where first-, second- and third-graders were combined into two classrooms, eliminating one teaching position in response to a budget crunch a few years ago.

At first, there were concerns that students would suffer academically, but recent test scores indicate the combined students are performing above district averages.

For many older readers of the Southeast Missourian, the combined classes have a familiar ring. One-room schools combined eight grades with one teacher, and it was common for more than one grade level to study the same subjects. In addition, older or more advanced students in those one-room schools often helped younger students while the teacher worked on another subject at another level.

It is good to see efforts to maintain high-quality education while finding practical solutions to class realities. Kudos to the Gordonville teachers who are making this arrangement work.