Impacts on Elementary Departmentalization

The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of departmentalization on academic achievement, social emotional aspects, and behavioral aspects of elementary students. Data collected included student achievement data, student/ teacher connectedness data, and student behavioral data with both positive and negative impacts. Academic advancements have been impacted by many things. Educators and administrators face intensified pressure to significantly increase student achievement in their schools. Changing how schools and classrooms are organized for instruction, as a strategy for school improvement, has been one response to this pressure. Departmentalizing in the elementary school serves as one example of such an organizational change. Very little research, however, specifically addresses elementary-level departmentalization. The benefits and limitations of elementary departmentalization were researched.