ACME ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Class Configuration Draft

2003-2004

4-16-03

A few weeks ago I met with Stewart Mhyre to discuss staffing allocations for the 2003-2004 school year. Even in the face of drastic budget cuts for the coming year, the district is committed to maintaining appropriate staffing ratios for our elementary schools. With the projected numbers and review of past enrollment data, Acme School is allocated 11.5 classroom teachers for the 2003-2004 school year.

The following plans represent the current Spring 2003 enrollment rolled up to the next grade level. I have entered the adjusted number for each grade in the parentheses. The adjusted numbers are based upon the following negotiated scale: IEP=2; EBD=3; ESL=1,2 or 3; CC=1; & Title/Lap=1. These values are added to the number of students enrolled in the class.

We do not know if we will be able to continue the current Primary Reading Specialist position. It was funded with I-728 finds and needs to be reauthorized by the school board for the 2003-2004 school year. It is a .3 FTE position. That translates into 54 days @ 7 hours per day or a distribution of 378 hours during the school year. This year it turned into 5 days a week, because we began the program in February.

Please note that none of these plans has actual teacher names attached to the positions. These are simply numbers of students assigned to classrooms.

We need to discuss the options put forth in this draft. Please look over the information.

Facilities adjustments will need to be made. The Kindergarten will need to move out of the room it currently occupies. It will not accommodate 20+ Kindergarteners. The Music Program must have a classroom. The new curriculum was designed for a stationary Teaching station and will not be effective in the mobile delivery now in use.

Plan A

Adjusted

Grade # Profile # Class #’s

K ? 1

1^st 22 (?) 1a – 19

1^st/2^nd 1^st - 3

2^nd - 16 ½ - 19

2^nd 36 (49) 2a – 20

3^rd 37 (47) 3a – 25

3^rd/4^th 3^rd – 13

4^th – 11 ¾ - 24

4^th 36 (55) 4a - 25

5^th 48 (81) 5a – 20

5b – 20

5^th /6^th 5^th – 8

6^th – 12 5/6 - 20

6^th 32 (78) 6a – 20

11.5 FTE Available 10.5 Classroom Teachers

13 Classrooms Available 11 Regular Classrooms

1 Music Classroom

1 Specialist Classroom

This configuration has three (3) combination classes and gives us one (1) FTE to use either as a Reading Specialist, a Math Specialist, or a PE Specialist. With the Specialist in any area we could use that position to reduce student teacher ratios for reading or Math. Divide students into levels and distribute to one more teacher for Math blocks or Reading blocks. The PE Specialist could take half of each grade level class for PE and leave a small group for flexible group instruction for either Math or Reading.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Plan B

Adjusted

Grade # Profile # Class #’s

K ? 1

1^st 22 (?) 1a – 19

1^st/2^nd 1^st - 3

2^nd - 16 ½ - 19

2^nd 36 (49) 2a – 19

3^rd 37 (47) 3a – 25

3^rd/4^th 3^rd – 13

4^th – 11 ¾ - 24

4^th 36 (55) 4a - 25

5^th 48 (81) 5a – 24

5b – 24

6^th 32 (78) 6a – 16

6b - 16

11.5 FTE Available 10.5 Classroom Teachers

13 Classrooms Available 11 Regular Classrooms

1 Music Classroom

1 Specialist Classroom

This configuration has two (2) Combination Classes, and gives us one (1) FTE to use either as a Reading Specialist, a Math Specialist, or a PE Specialist. With the Specialist in any area we could use that position to reduce student teacher ratios for reading or Math. Divide students into levels and distribute to one more teacher for Math blocks or Reading blocks. The PE Specialist could take half of each grade level class for PE and leave a small group for flexible group instruction for either Math or Reading.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Plan C

Adjusted

Grade # Profile # Class #’s

K ? 1

1^st 22 (?) 1a – 22

2^nd 36 (49) 2a – 22

2^nd/3^rd 2^nd - 12

3^rd - 12 2/3 - 24

3^rd 37 (47) 3a – 23

4^th 36 (55) 4a - 18

4b – 18

5^th 48 (81) 5a – 24

5b - 24

6^th 32 (78) 6a – 16

6b – 16

11.5 FTE Available 10.5 classroom teachers

13 Classrooms Available 11 Regular Classrooms

1 Music Classroom

1 Specialist Classroom

This configuration includes one (1) Combination Classroom. It also assumes that we only have enough Kindergarteners for one section. This plan moves the combination out of the 1^st Grade. The class size numbers are increased in 1^st and 2^nd, but reduced in the 3^rd. This configuration gives us one FTE to use either as a Reading Specialist, a Math Specialist, or a PE Specialist. With the Specialist in any area we could use that position to reduce student teacher ratios for reading or Math. Divide students into levels and distribute to one more teacher for math blocks, Reading blocks. The PE Specialist could take half of each grade level class for PE and leave a small group for flexible group instruction.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Plan D

Adjusted

Grade # Profile # Class #’s

K ? 1a

1^st 22 (?) 1a – 19

1^st/2^nd 1^st - 3

2^nd - 17 ½ - 19

2^nd 36 (49) 2a – 19

3^rd 37 (47) 3a – 18

3b - 19

4^th 36 (55) 4a - 18

4b – 18

5^th 48 (81) 5a – 24

5b - 24

6^th 32 (78) 6a – 16

6b – 16

11.5 FTE Available 11.5 classroom teachers

13 Classrooms Available 12 Regular Classrooms

1 Music Classroom

This assumes that we will have enough students for 1 section of Kindergarten. The combination at the 1^st & 2^nd lowers the Primary class size.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Plan E

Adjusted

Grade # Profile # Class #’s

K ? 1

1^st 22 (?) 1a – 22

2^nd 36 (49) 2a – 18

2b - 18

3^rd 37 (47) 3a – 18

3b - 19

4^th 36 (55) 4a - 18

4b - 18

5^th 48 (81) 5a – 24

5b – 24

6^th 32 (78) 6a – 16

6b - 16

11.5 FTE Available 11.5 Classroom Teachers

13 Classrooms Available 12 Regular Classrooms

1 Music Classroom

This configuration creates all singe grade classrooms. The class sizes are all fairly even. The 1^st grade is larger than the other primary classes. That may require some extra Basic Ed support from the building resources. This plan honors the strong opinion of our community to avoid combination classrooms if at all possible. The ½ combination that is offered in Plans A, B & D is very lopsided towards the second graders. Would that be a promotion or skipping a grade for those three students?

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Plan F

Adjusted

Grade # Profile # Class #’s

K ? 1a

1^st 22 (?) 1a – 22

2^nd 36 (49) 2a – 18

2b - 18

3^rd 37 (47) 3a – 18

3b - 19

4^th 36 (55) 4a - 18

4b - 18

5^th 48 (81) 5a – 20

5b – 20

5^th /6^th 5^th – 8

6^th – 12 5/6 - 20

6^th 32 (78) 6a – 20

11.5 FTE Available 10.5 Classroom Teachers

13 Classrooms Available 11 Regular Classrooms

1 Music Classroom

1 Specialist Classroom

This configuration includes one (1) Combination Classroom. It also assumes that we only have enough Kindergarteners for one section. This plan moves the combination out of the 1^st Grade. The class size numbers are all less than 23. This configuration gives us one FTE to use either as a Reading Specialist, a Math Specialist, or a PE Specialist. With the Specialist in any area we could use that position to reduce student teacher ratios for reading or Math. Divide students into levels and distribute to one more teacher for math blocks, Reading blocks. The PE Specialist could take half of each grade level class for PE and leave a small group for flexible group instruction.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Plan ?

Adjusted

Grade # Profile # Class #’s

K - ?

1^st 22 (?)

2^nd 36 (49)

3^rd 37 (47)

4^th 36 (55)

5^th 40 (81)

6^th 48 (78)

___ Classroom teachers

___ Primary Reading Specialist/PE Teacher/ ?

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Class Configuration Draft

Plan A

Plan B

Plan C

Plan D

Plan E

Plan F

Advantages:

Plan ?

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