An individualized mathematics program in junior high school

Abstract

The Caledonia, Minnesota, mathematics teachers have devised an individualized mathematics program with the goal of enabling each student to work at his personal rate and at his personal level of achievement. It was hoped that students would cease competing with classmates and begin competing with themselves as they began assuming the responsibility for their own learning. An open-ended program would permit capable students to progress as far as their interest and ability would permit. Students who previously reached mere threshold understanding would gain additional time for better comprehension of the concepts involved by contracting for units of work.