by Ron Benningfield

LaRue County Schools have implemented a new teaching strategy this year called Kagan Cooperative Learning in which small groups of students work together towards learning goals.

Each member of a group is responsible not only for learning what is taught but also for helping teammates learn. They continue the assignment until all group members successfully understand and complete it. The strategy is based on the work of Dr. Spencer Kagan, who was a clinical psychologist and full-time professor of psychology and education at the University of California Berkley.

Kagan established Kagan Publishing and Professional Development and has provided workshops in over 30 countries.

“Kagan cooperative learning is different from basic group work because it holds all students accountable and allows all students to participate,” Denise Skaggs, LaRue instructional supervisor, explained. “It improves student engagement in the classroom.”

Skaggs said going to the new instructional approach was a logical next step for the district.

“We have curriculum maps for all classes. Our teachers understand the standards that need to be taught and the difference in assessment of learning and assessment for learning,” she said. “Based on walkthroughs, we knew that student engagement was an area we could improve.”

In order to implement the learning approach in all schools, a core team of 20 teachers representing each school attended a two-day training in March followed by a three-day session in June.

“We then met and planned a one-day training with teachers in late July,” noted Skaggs. “We will continue to revisit additional Kagan structures throughout the year. We have also added it to our walkthrough forms so we can monitor how often we see Kagan being used in the schools.”

She believes the teachers have bought into the program.

“Many of the core team who attended the training back in March started implementing some of the structure at the end of last school year so they give our current teachers some insight into what works well and what things might need to be considered or adjusted.”

Skaggs said schools who take a cooperative learning approach also report a drop in discipline referrals because working together allows the students to move and talk, form social relationships, and

become accountable to self and others.

“Engaged students don’t have time to be disruptive,” she said.