s composition and student achievement in elementary schools. American Educational Research Journal 15(50), 39-42.
             Problem/Justification. Although Burns and Mason (2002) clearly stated in the introductory section of his article that addressing the need for information with respect to the influence of class composition on student achievement in an elementary school environment and that such data is scant he failed to inform the reader regarding the specific information needed. The research investigators should have enlightened the reader as to the specifics of each classroom composition model other than simply labeling each (i.e., combination classes or multi-grade and single grade classes). Further, operationalizing the terms context and composition would have greatly aided the reader in interpreting the study's results.
             Study Purpose. Burns and Mason (2002) did follow best fit research practice protocol by stating the purpose of the study as that being to study student achievement with respect to the effects of class composition. However, this reviewer would have like to see more information of exactly what is meant by multi-grade composition and single grade composition. In other words, should such factors as gender, ethnicity, socio-economic level, family size, ESL possibilities, and reading ability have been considered? Without such information it is difficult to assign a value to the study's content knowledge worthiness.
             Literature Review. The primary purpose of any review of literature is to give support to the study being conducted. Such support comes in the form of informing the reader that previous studies have been conducted but failed to encompass the variables of the current research endeavor or by alerting the reader that the current study is so unique that no previous research exists in the chosen topic area. Burns and Mason (2002) were successful in updating the reader that other research has not examined o...