Oak Knoll Elementary School

In late May, Oak Knoll will begin making tentative class assignments for the 2011-2012 school year.  Grade level teams will meet and place students in heterogeneous classes. Groups will be balanced considering gender, race, academic skills, social maturity and special needs.  The staff’s full range of expertise and intimate knowledge of the children will be utilized to establish class groups for 120+ children. 

Our placement process is not about parents requesting a teacher for their child.  We believe that in the past these requests have too heavily influenced our work.  Your teacher knows and understands your child. She/he will consider all the variables in class placement and make placements that work in the best interests of all the children. 

Objectives

• Create balanced classes: Academics, gender, race, special needs, teacher time

• Match students and teacher styles

• Special attention for students with special needs

• Shared responsibility for high impact students

• Minimize scheduling roadblocks

• Consider parent input

Process

• Teachers complete placement card for each student with academic and behavior data, including special services and unique needs.

• Parents provided opportunity to describe their child’s needs and provide other information.

• Grade level team meets during May to review data cards and parent input.  Specialists provide information.  Teams create tentative classes.

• The teams strive to:

  • Create heterogeneous groups – academic, social, gender

  • Prevent racial isolation

  • Match teacher/student styles

  • Group to effectively provide special services

  • Separate children who are not a good match

  • Consider parent input

  • Consideration for friends only under special circumstances

• The principal, assistant principal and specialist team meet prior to the end of the school year to review class lists.

• August changes made for moves in and out.

• Class lists posted August 13^th

In addition to the process outlined above, we are anticipating the need to conduct a controlled lottery for third grade openings in the Multi Age Grades 3-5 class. 

Parents-

If you have information that you feel is important for your child’s placement next year, or you would like for your prospective 3^rd grader to be placed in the lottery for 3-5 Multi-Age Class please send a letter or email to Mr. Ackerman.  The deadline for letters is May 19^th.