School districts including Knox County are moving away from the "industrial model" of high school to smaller learning groups in an effort to make education more personal and relevant for students.

 

Students, however, may end up sorting themselves into communities by achievement and ability levels that they perceive are expected of their social class if administrators don't have measures to guarantee that each community reflects the demographics and ability level of the school, said Douglas Ready, an assistant professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, who co-authored the book "Schools Within Schools: Possibilities and Pitfalls of High School Reform," published in January 2007.

 

This article appeared in the March 3, 2008 edition of the Knoxnews.com.