In 1986, the Superintendent of Baltimore Schools approached Slavin for help with failing schools in impoverished, inner city neighborhoods. The model Slavin developed for Baltimore became research-driven Success for All, used in 1,300 schools in 47 states, as of May 2005, and rated one of the most effective reform models according to a meta-analysis of school improvement programs.[1] However, most teachers participating in Success For All, even ones who strongly support the program, have been found to make substantial changes in implementation in contrast to the expectations of developers. Some teachers also reported that the program constrained their creativity and autonomy in their own classroom.[3]
His work includes research on classroom cooperative learning techniques including his 1980 paper "Cooperative Learning".[4]