Cincinnati Public Schools

Kagan Cooperative Learning personnel have provided Cincinnati Public School teachers and staff robust professional development and coaching support needed to impact instructional practices and increase student engagement.

Kagan personnel have been with us throughout our three-year journey assisting us in shaping the professional development plan; providing insight to deep implementation; and coaching teachers, principals, and district staff in Kagan Structures and principles.

Teachers have stated that the Kagan 5-day Cooperative Learning training is one of the best they have attended. Not only is it fun, but also the information is very useful in their classroom. They are energized upon completion and enthusiastic to take the knowledge and skills back to their students.

Students are excited about learning and look forward to participating in structures. There is a marked difference in school/classroom climate. That is because students respect each other. Doing Kagan Structures enables them to “get to know” their fellow students. They begin to see similarities instead of differences and begin to make connections. The school culture is notably positive.

We are very pleased with the encouragement, collaboration, and sustained assistance Kagan has provided us.

Kathleen Ware
President
Mayerson Academy for Human Resource Development

Long Hill Elementary School

As a principal, I am convinced that the training we have received in Cooperative Learning and Multiple Intelligences has enabled my teachers to meet the individual needs of all of our children—even my teachers in the Exceptional Children's program utilize the Kagan strategies. Long Hill Elementary School was named a "National Blue Ribbon School" by the United States Department of Education. Our site visitor noted that the overall teamwork in our school was "incredible". She cited evidence of teamwork with students, teachers, and parents in her report to Secretary of Education, Richard Riley. Ratings on student surveys are the highest ever—our students love the joys of learning! Upon my arrival in 1997, the composite score of students passing the state End of Grade test was 78%—today, 86.9% of our students pass the test. The curriculum and the test have not changed; however, our delivery of the curriculum has changed. We are much more focused on overt active participation of all learners as a result of our training. All of our learners—low, average, above average, and gifted students benefit from these strategies. Additionally, I celebrate the fact that we have very few discipline referrals to the office. I attribute this to the positive cross-gender and race relationships that are developed in cooperative learning teams. I have witnessed teachers with previous management problems become some of my very best as a result of the structure of the Kagan structures. Read more

Kathy L Kennedy,
Principal
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Auburndale Central Elementary School

My staff has been trained in Kagan Cooperative Learning Strategies this year and it has made a difference in our school. There was excitement all week long by teachers from elementary, middle and secondary schools. As she worked with us she brought in brain research at the appropriate time to emphasize certain points. The fact that the structures are so well researched and proven is the reason I dedicated my staff development budget to Kagan CL training. Throughout the year we were trained by two trainers other than Laurie and found each one very effective. I feel the implementation of the Kagan CL Strategies across the curriculum has been a major factor. A bonus is that the students enjoy learning a great deal more now that they can work with others in a real learning community. Time on task has also greatly increased. Read more

Gay H. Martin,
Principal
Auburndale, Florida

Lake Alfred Elementary School

From our experience, we have found that the Kagan Cooperative Learning structures are very teacher and student friendly. These structures are very effective at team and class building, developing communication skills, and reinforcing for mastery. Our teachers were very impressed with the training and most of them began implementing what they learned almost immediately. Read more

Eileen T. Castle,
Principal
Lake Alfred, Florida

Education and Inmate Programs Unit

I continue to be pleased with the reults of the training. I have received two calls from teachers saying they were doing some activities with their classes and they were surprised with the acceptance by the inmates. I also understand one of the institutions is going to contract for a two day training with their staff during their quarter break training time. I think we have a hit here. Thanks.

Sandra Bell
Title I Coordinator
Education and Inmate Programs Unit

Lake Alfred Middle School

Teachers are raving about the improved assessment grades for their students. In addition, the interest level in classrooms has increased thanks to Kagan strategies involving equal participation and simultaneous interaction. Read more

Carol Fulks,
Principal
Lake Alfred, Florida

Polk City Elementary School

The Kagan Cooperative Learning Training is the best and most exciting training I've received in the 27 years I've been in education. Our teachers who were trained in the program implemented the structures in their classrooms and found that student participation in learning increased, along with achieving a higher level of student mastery of taught skills. If you are looking for something that will energize your class, increase student performance, and promote social skills, this is it! You can have it all in a simple ten-minute Kagan structure with over a hundred structures from which to choose. Read more

Randy Borland,
Principal
Polk City, Florida

Florida Council on Economic Education

I am so glad that I attended that workshop. Since I was technically no longer employed at the school, it was certainly not required of me. However, the techniques that you taught, and more importantly modeled, were fantastic and well worth my time. I intend to incorporate as much as possible in the training I do with my teachers. Read more

Susan Spalding
Director of Entrepreneurship

Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organization

The Kagan approach combines useful principles with an ever-growing range of practical techniques that can be applied across subject areas and age levels. Teachers find these structures easy to apply and frequently report having used them successfully. Kagan's Six Keys, especially PIES, help me and other teachers better understand the processes that underlie successful CL. Read more

George Jacobs, Language Specialist
Regional Language Centre (SEAMEO RELC)

School District No. 34

In Abbotsford, after Spencer Kagan's two-day initial training for teachers and administrators in Cooperative Learning Structures, there was an observable district-wide implementation of some of the cooperative learning structures into the classroom. I firmly believe that the teachers saw his structures as very teacher-friendly, and that students were intrigued by these new strategies and, as a result, found learning to be fun and safe! I believe that if all schools in North America taught elements of cooperative learning as a social responsibility goal, and followed up this theory on the playground so that the elements of cooperative learning became a habit of character ethics, schools in North America would have fewer discipline problems and there would be a significant decrease in violent behaviour amongst students. Read more

Dr. Robin Arden, Superintendent Of Schools
Abbotsford, B.C., Canada

Singapore Teachers' Union

As teachers in Singapore have learned from you and Laurie, the CL teaching strategies you created and developed, are easy to use and are very effective in enhancing the learning process. We look forward to our continued association with you so that, together, we can establish CL as an integral part of every teacher's professional skills. Read more

Swithun Lowe, Deputy General Secretary
Singapore

Davis District

We have been implementing Cooperative Learning in Davis District and the state of Utah now for over ten years. The impact and flow has rolled from one district to another as teachers learn new strategies for teaching. Read more

Colleen C. Uhl
Bountiful Elementary School, Bountiful, Utah

Camptonville Union School District

As a former staff development director, building principal, and school superintendent, the structural approach has been the optimal solution to both effective classroom instruction and professional growth across a broad range of curricular areas, learning situations, and grade levels. The techniques and rationale should be part of every teachers set of professional skills. Read more

Chuck Wiederhold, Ph.D.
Former Superintendent

The Lamplighter School

Thanks a lot Kaganfolk, It's always a pleasure to hear the latest. We still use, endorse, purchase, and spread the "structural words" at Lamplighter. Coleta and I have provided our teachers with all "The Smart Cards" and have had most satisfying results this year. The language of cooperative learning, the structural approach, resounds throughout our school! 2000 marks 10 years with Kagan for the Lamplighter School!

Sincerely,

Sheila Leventhal McCartor
Dallas, Texas

Gredelby Skola

There are of course a lot of positive impacts coming from all different directions; from school administrators, teachers and parents. For the moment there is a great demand for more Kagan training from other schools in our school area.

Harriet Karlsson
Knivsta, Sweden