Cluster grouping is a method of classroom organization that places gifted and high achieving students together, then mixes the average, low-average and special education learners. Some schools that use cluster grouping also place a handful of gifted students with average and low-average learners. This is more popular in rural districts when the student population does not allow for separate classes.
In a cluster grouping environment, gifted students can interact with their gifted peers, which benefits and encourages them. The Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development of the University of Connecticut says that gifted students should spend the majority of their day with other gifted peers. Their research shows that children learn most from students of similar abilities. Kids Sources says that these children are more likely to try challenging activities when they are around other gifted and high-achieving students. Also, cluster grouping saves a district money, as districts do not need multiple programs for students of different abilities.
Parents of other children might fight to have their students placed in a cluster group class, whether their children truly belongs in it or not. Requiring parents provide outside documentation of a student's intellectual abilities can reduce this demand. Rotating teachers every two years can ensure that qualified teachers are working in other areas of the school as well. In addition, some research suggests that average and low-average students will flourish better when they are not around gifted students, as they can be seen as the higher achievers of their own environment.
In a cluster grouping model, it is important that teachers have training in dealing with gifted students and that those paired with lower-achieving students are also equipped to deal with their specific needs. The benefits of cluster grouping will likely be insignificant if the teacher does not have the training or appropriate curriculum for multiple learners, the Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development reports.