Necessary Elements for Creating Whole Schooling : Democratic Practices, Multi-Level Instruction, Community Building and Supporting Learning, Inclusion and Partnerships with Community and Family

Abstract

This study addresses the question, "Is whole schooling effectively practiced in some Detroit area schools?" Whole schooling is operationally defined as providing engaging and supportive learning opportunities, and evaluating the impact on children's growth from the point at which a child's ability level lies. In philosophy, Whole Schooling's purpose is to provide each child with the opportunity to experience a general education without the segregated guise of tracking and to promote the positive outcomes of this idea as a democratic form of facilitating education. The five principles of whole schooling provide its practical foundation through democratic teaching practices, multi-level instruction, classroom community building and supporting learning, inclusion, and partnering with parents, family, and the community. It is through these principles that the following study evaluates six primary classrooms in the Detroit area for evidence of these principles in practice. Results are inconclusive as all of the classrooms demonstrated some of the principles, but no classroom demonstrated all these elements.