The multiage classroom (the system is also called looping) contains students of different ages and grade levels who stay with the same teacher for several years. In the case of Pine Crest, the classes are K-2 and 3-5. The students learn predominantly in small, heterogeneous groups, and parents often come to class to help lead them. The system provides teachers with a three-year span to get to know their students' strengths and weaknesses and to support the individual growth of each student. Over the years, the class develops into something like a family.
Although the multiage classroom is a rarity in the United States (and getting rarer still as high-stakes testing has taken hold) and requires a special kind of teacher, it offers many lessons adaptable to the traditional classroom -- in particular, student-to-student mentoring.