Research in Support of
"Twins in the Classroom" Legislation Twins in School: What Teachers Should Know.
source: U.S. Department of Education's Education Resource Information Center (ERIC) Digest.
- The "best policy is no policy at all. Similarly, most parents feel that such decisions should be determined on a case-by-case basis and that a rigid policy should be avoided."

Meeting the Educational Needs of Multiple Birth Children.
source: Early Human Development. David A. Hay & Pat Preedy
- Two recent studies in the UK and in the Netherlands have followed twins since early in their development and well before separation. Those separated early (at age 5 and just starting school) had more internalizing problem behaviors and this was more likely to continue for MZ (monozygotic or identical) pairs. In Australia, the study also looked at those separated for the first time the next year and found more internalizing and reading problems in the MZ pairs, despite having shown no differences on earlier assessments.
- Putting multiple birth children into separate classes requires careful consideration and consultation with parents as most multiple birth children have little or no experience of separation prior to starting school.
- Before deciding whether to separate multiple birth children, parents and teachers need to discuss the development and experiences of the children.
- Once it has been acknowledged that multiples and their parents are a group needing special consideration, it is important to give them a place in school policy.

Twins in the Classroom: School Policy Issues and Recommendations.
source: Journal of Education and Psychological Consultation. Dr Nancy Segal & Dr. Jean Russell
- School placement should fit the special circumstances of individual twin pairs. The more common policy of separating twins upon school entry is inappropriate in all cases because it fails to accommodate the individual needs of each pair.
- A research basis for separating twins at school has not been established.
- The zygosity of a given pair should receive some consideration in the assignment of separate versus common classrooms. Final decisions should not rest solely on the twin type, but should consider the twins' social relationship, social skills outside the twinship, intellectual abilities and other factors.

Selections from Dr. John Mascazine's upcoming book on twins and multiples in school.
(His research refers to The Tulley Report & The Leeuwen Study .)
- According to current research, the best policy is to have no policy. Instead teachers and administrators should consider each case based on the needs of the students involved.
- Dr. Mascazine documents cases where adult twins have reported traumatic experiences having been separated in early elementary school. Some twins expressed confusion, guilt, and misunderstanding which affected their school and learning experiences negatively.
- Multiples often exhibit "checking behavior". That's when one sibling takes a moment to check on their sibling(s) to make sure they are safe or nearby. For most twin and multiple birth children, it is comforting to know the whereabouts of their siblings and to know they are safe. It was disturbing to many twins to be placed in separate classrooms and to rarely be given time to see what their sibling was doing during the day.

Mandatory Twin Separation in Schools; How Parents Can Best Rely on Another Set of "Twins" - Meyer and Pierce - to Keep Their Children Together
source: Article in TWINS Magazine summarizing Stetson Law Review paper Vol. XXIX Fall 1999 Number 2
- Explores the violation of Parental Constitutional Rights in mandatory classroom placement policies. Specifically addressed are the "liberty interests" involving the "parents right to direct the education of their children" using the "best interest of the child" standard, and the "right to intimate association" which protects the most intimate of relationships from unnecessary interference.

National Organization of Mothers of Twins Club's (NOMOTC) Guidelines for the Education of Multiple Birth Children.
- Schools should provide an atmosphere that respects the close nature of the multiple bond while at the same time encouraging individual abilities.
- Schools should maintain a flexible placement policy throughout the early elementary school years.
- Teachers should value parental input regarding the nature of the multiples' relationship.
- Educators should seek out the latest research finding regarding the psychology of multiple birth children and incorporate these findings into their pedagogy.

Wisconsin Twin Research Newsletter; vol XXVI
- Research results indicated that twins placed in separate classrooms at five showed more problems with withdrawal, somatic complaints, and anxiousness and/or depression, and had lower reading levels than twins who were never separated and twins who were separated at a later date. Furthermore, follow-ups indicated that a large number of identical twins continued to have these problems in later childhood.
- The decision of classroom separation is one that should be made on an individual basis, keeping in mind the characteristics and personality of each twin.