La Condessa Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 We recently moved to a new town, and I found out that the local elementary school here is moving to a level-based model next year, instead of grades. The kids will move between teachers for different subjects and be grouped according to their level in each subject. This sounds like it could potentially be a great situation for an asynchronous kid. However, the school is only K through 2nd, and I don't know how they will handle kids who are beyond 2nd grade level. Also, the 1st grade teacher who was telling me about it was very negative. She was saying that a new superintendent is forcing these changes on the school, and the teachers are against it--that they think it will be more stressful and harder for the kids to adjust, that the transitions will eat into teaching time, that having kids several years apart grouped together will cause social problems So, I'm considering sending dd next year, but I have some concerns. I'd like to talk to someone from the school about it, but I'm not sure who to talk to (I'm assuming the superintendent doesn't talk with individual families, but it sounded like the teachers, at least, don't yet know the details of the plan). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 Talk to your local school district asst. supt. Just call the district admin office and ask who is in charge of this scheme. Then talk to the school principal. Some teachers don't like mixed grades kids (kids of different ages) and some don't like to teach kindergarten age kids. My older's 1st grade teacher isn't comfortable with young kids so she doesn't teach kindergarteners. Transitions do eat into teaching time and that depends on the school culture. Some schools allow kids to slowly stroll from class to class so kids are really late going from library back to classroom. Some expect kids to brisk walk between classrooms and little time is wasted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 It sounds great but not if the teachers are trying to sabotage it or engage in games of one upmanship with the boss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 Is it with a gifted magnet or is it the entire population? Having lots of shifting for kids so young could honestly be a like trying to herd cats! I can understand why the teachers are approaching the situation with apprehension. If you have kids who are motivated to learn, it would be awesome. I do not know many kids that young who are genuinely motivated to learn. Most parents I know use PS as a free babysitting service. It is only about 15 percent (so maybe three kids a class) that are really, truly there to learn and sponge up everything they can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 We did that in elementary, well, not different ages, but different classrooms for different levels. We had classrooms with internal doors to each other, so we didn't have to go outside at all, just moved amongst 4 adjoining rooms. Much better than now, when all the levels are in one room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 I have been thinking. It would probably work best is either the school only has one class each grade OR if the classes where put in 3's (K,1,2) in adjacent classrooms and each 3 intermingled within itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Condessa Posted December 20, 2014 Author Share Posted December 20, 2014 It's not a magnet, just a normal public school. There is a magnet stem middle school in the district that uses this method, and they said that it has worked out to have six "clusters" (level groups) working at or below grade level and two above. I do wonder--the idea is to allow teachers to teach each class of kids at their own level, but will the effects be somewhat negated in the top group? I mean, they may still have students working at greatly varying levels in that group, if it has the kids learning third or fourth grade math and some doing pre-algebra all together. Still, that's better than one teacher trying to handle that spread plus kids at a second or first grade level all together. That's if they actually do allow kids to go that far. I found more info on the district's website, and it mentioned that this is supposed to allow students to not only work at different levels but also to move through the curriculum at their own speed. The theory sounds great, but I'm wondering if in practice it will really work that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted December 20, 2014 Share Posted December 20, 2014 . I found more info on the district's website, and it mentioned that this is supposed to allow students to not only work at different levels but also to move through the curriculum at their own speed. The theory sounds great, but I'm wondering if in practice it will really work that way. They could use something like EPGY language arts and math which goes from K to 7th during class time. Everyone will just go through at their own pace in that sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 The only thing I could compare this to is when my eldest daughter tested early into kindergarten, in a private school. It was a disaster. She was barely 4 (August birthday) in a class of 5 and 6 year olds. Academically it was perfect, but academics are NOT the only part of a working classroom situation to be considered. She was notably YOUNGER than the other children - just learning how to share, still needed a nap, couldn't sit still for long, etc, despite being able to do the actual WORK in the kindergarten classroom. There is a huge maturity gap between a kindergartner and a second grader, and unless the classroom is run in a montessori way, I could definitely see why the teachers aren't on board - it sounds like it could cause serious problems in a normal public school classroom setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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