Morristown
The CABAS® program began in Morris School District located in Morristown, NJ in 1999 and the general education classes began in 2007. Currently, there are 7 CABAS® classrooms that implement the general education Accelerated Independent Learner (AIL) model of instruction (one classroom each of Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth grades) and three self-contained CABAS® classrooms (one Kindergarten, one 3rd-5the grade class, and one 6th grade class).
The model is based on research that has reported 4 to 7-times more learning than control or baseline educational procedures (See the relevant research cited in this website, www.cabasschools.org). An initial evaluation conducted after the first two years of the AIL program showed that all of the children were performing on a standardized test from two to six grade levels above their grade level in mathematics, reading and language arts, with the exception of one child who was performing at grade level. The CABAS® AIL classroom is based entirely on scientific procedures and emphasizes individualized or differentiated instruction using one of the most thorough, if not the most thorough, curriculum based measurement currently available. In this program, students are instructed on objectives derived from the school district's curriculum (and additional AIL curricula consistent with the national CORE) to mastery. An essential component of the AIL classroom is that each student moves at his or her own pace. That is, the students' progress drives their instruction and instruction is accelerated. For students who progress quickly through objectives, they move at an advanced pace and for children who have difficulty achieving an objective, scientific research based tactics are applied until mastery is achieved. In some cases, teachers may induce a verbal behavior developmental capability or cusp so that students can learn in ways they could not prior to these interventions. All students are taught skills and the relevant developmental cusps are established to allow them to become independent learners. They learn to monitor their own progress, set realistic and appropriate goals, evaluate their progress and determine the ratio of accomplishment to self-reinforcement. All students are taught to learn from observation as well as direct instruction to prepare them to be independent learners. Classrooms are designed to be positive environments wherein coercive procedures are avoided and a major goal is the expansion of 'the children's community of interests. Learning to enjoy and prefer engaging in learning activities is a systematic goal. It is not enough to learn to read and do math fluently, it is equally as important for the student to learn to love to read and do math.
The AIL classroom teachers are Columbia University PhD graduate students who are working on, or have at least obtained CABAS® Board Certification as Master Teachers. They are scientist practitioners who analyze the progress of each child and fit the appropriate pedagogical tactics, developmental interventions, and tested curricula towards accelerating each child's educational progress. In addition to the classroom teacher, the CABAS® AIL classrooms have Masters level Columbia University graduate student interns. Dr. R. Douglas Greer and Dr. Jo Ann Pereira Delgado from Columbia University Teachers College and Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences oversee the program. Greer is on site three days per month and Delgado is there 2 days per week serving as the primary on-site supervisor.
