Level IV clustering

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a teacher willing to chime in regarding the cluster model in a diverse school setting? It seems like a massive undertaking to properly instruct the level IV curriculum while supporting the learning needs of ELLs, SWD, struggling learners, and those on grade level. How does this possibly work?

Not a teacher but our school is “diverse” in the way you describe. Cluster model is not doing much as kids are kept in their “cluster” and teacher has to manage all those levels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a teacher willing to chime in regarding the cluster model in a diverse school setting? It seems like a massive undertaking to properly instruct the level IV curriculum while supporting the learning needs of ELLs, SWD, struggling learners, and those on grade level. How does this possibly work?

Not a teacher but our school is “diverse” in the way you describe. Cluster model is not doing much as kids are kept in their “cluster” and teacher has to manage all those levels.

DP. APS has been doing this for a while. Parents hate it.

[Anonymous]

We're in a diverse (not title I) school and I am the child of a non LLIV in a class with LLIV kids. I will say that my child is doing MUCH better in this class than she was in a class with less advanced children. This is a boon for non-AAP kids - everyone is living up to their true potential. My child is in a class with ESOL kids, too, they're doing really well. It's great for ALL kids which is what we should all be wanting out of our school system.

#Sorrynotsorry if this is not what you want to hear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're in a diverse (not title I) school and I am the child of a non LLIV in a class with LLIV kids. I will say that my child is doing MUCH better in this class than she was in a class with less advanced children. This is a boon for non-AAP kids - everyone is living up to their true potential. My child is in a class with ESOL kids, too, they're doing really well. It's great for ALL kids which is what we should all be wanting out of our school system.

#Sorrynotsorry if this is not what you want to hear.

That's good to hear. What grade is your DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're in a diverse (not title I) school and I am the child of a non LLIV in a class with LLIV kids. I will say that my child is doing MUCH better in this class than she was in a class with less advanced children. This is a boon for non-AAP kids - everyone is living up to their true potential. My child is in a class with ESOL kids, too, they're doing really well. It's great for ALL kids which is what we should all be wanting out of our school system.

#Sorrynotsorry if this is not what you want to hear.

My kid is local. The pitch that the principal made was that the presence of level IV kids allows the school to offer the level IV curriculum which is better for all children. The more kids who stay, the more they can spread clusters across different classes and any class with a cluster gets the level IV curriculum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're in a diverse (not title I) school and I am the child of a non LLIV in a class with LLIV kids. I will say that my child is doing MUCH better in this class than she was in a class with less advanced children. This is a boon for non-AAP kids - everyone is living up to their true potential. My child is in a class with ESOL kids, too, they're doing really well. It's great for ALL kids which is what we should all be wanting out of our school system.

#Sorrynotsorry if this is not what you want to hear.

Obviously meant to say I HAVE a child, not I am a child! 5th grade - so my child has had two years of general ed with LLIV kids in a separate class and now this year where they are mixed together and it has been a HUGE improvement both academically and socially. I'm thrilled, but more importantly, my child is very happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're in a diverse (not title I) school and I am the child of a non LLIV in a class with LLIV kids. I will say that my child is doing MUCH better in this class than she was in a class with less advanced children. This is a boon for non-AAP kids - everyone is living up to their true potential. My child is in a class with ESOL kids, too, they're doing really well. It's great for ALL kids which is what we should all be wanting out of our school system.

#Sorrynotsorry if this is not what you want to hear.

As a parent of a rising 3rd grader at a similar school setting, this is great to hear. But I’m curious how you know that the ESOL students are doing really well. Do you work in the school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're in a diverse (not title I) school and I am the child of a non LLIV in a class with LLIV kids. I will say that my child is doing MUCH better in this class than she was in a class with less advanced children. This is a boon for non-AAP kids - everyone is living up to their true potential. My child is in a class with ESOL kids, too, they're doing really well. It's great for ALL kids which is what we should all be wanting out of our school system.

#Sorrynotsorry if this is not what you want to hear.

As a parent of a rising 3rd grader at a similar school setting, this is great to hear. But I’m curious how you know that the ESOL students are doing really well. Do you work in the school?

This is what I gather from check-ins with the teacher and my friend who is a specialist at the school. My other child is in a class with a bunch of troublemakers and his teacher is on the verge of a nervous breakdown - but they're in 1st and from what I've read on DCUM and Reddit, first grade is a mess across the board!

Did I give you the "gotcha moment" you were looking for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're in a diverse (not title I) school and I am the child of a non LLIV in a class with LLIV kids. I will say that my child is doing MUCH better in this class than she was in a class with less advanced children. This is a boon for non-AAP kids - everyone is living up to their true potential. My child is in a class with ESOL kids, too, they're doing really well. It's great for ALL kids which is what we should all be wanting out of our school system.

#Sorrynotsorry if this is not what you want to hear.

As a parent of a rising 3rd grader at a similar school setting, this is great to hear. But I’m curious how you know that the ESOL students are doing really well. Do you work in the school?

This is what I gather from check-ins with the teacher and my friend who is a specialist at the school. My other child is in a class with a bunch of troublemakers and his teacher is on the verge of a nervous breakdown - but they're in 1st and from what I've read on DCUM and Reddit, first grade is a mess across the board!

Did I give you the "gotcha moment" you were looking for?

I would never tell a parent what is actually going on with other kids in my classroom. That’s a huge invasion of privacy. I say, “everyone’s having a great year!” Or “we are all making good progress” (even though Larlo still can’t read and jimmy hasn’t produced a writing sample all year and Sara is 4 grades above in math and I’m frustrated I can’t meet her needs.) I’m glad it’s going well for your kid, but realistically that is all the data you have.

—teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're in a diverse (not title I) school and I am the child of a non LLIV in a class with LLIV kids. I will say that my child is doing MUCH better in this class than she was in a class with less advanced children. This is a boon for non-AAP kids - everyone is living up to their true potential. My child is in a class with ESOL kids, too, they're doing really well. It's great for ALL kids which is what we should all be wanting out of our school system.

#Sorrynotsorry if this is not what you want to hear.

Well, ALL kids except for the LLIV kids. But they don't matter because they're already smart or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're in a diverse (not title I) school and I am the child of a non LLIV in a class with LLIV kids. I will say that my child is doing MUCH better in this class than she was in a class with less advanced children. This is a boon for non-AAP kids - everyone is living up to their true potential. My child is in a class with ESOL kids, too, they're doing really well. It's great for ALL kids which is what we should all be wanting out of our school system.

#Sorrynotsorry if this is not what you want to hear.

As a parent of a rising 3rd grader at a similar school setting, this is great to hear. But I’m curious how you know that the ESOL students are doing really well. Do you work in the school?

This is what I gather from check-ins with the teacher and my friend who is a specialist at the school. My other child is in a class with a bunch of troublemakers and his teacher is on the verge of a nervous breakdown - but they're in 1st and from what I've read on DCUM and Reddit, first grade is a mess across the board!

Did I give you the "gotcha moment" you were looking for?

Wasn’t looking for a gotcha moment, but thought you had the inside scoop as a teacher at the school. Defensive much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're in a diverse (not title I) school and I am the child of a non LLIV in a class with LLIV kids. I will say that my child is doing MUCH better in this class than she was in a class with less advanced children. This is a boon for non-AAP kids - everyone is living up to their true potential. My child is in a class with ESOL kids, too, they're doing really well. It's great for ALL kids which is what we should all be wanting out of our school system.

#Sorrynotsorry if this is not what you want to hear.

Well, ALL kids except for the LLIV kids. But they don't matter because they're already smart or something.

+1

[Anonymous]

The Cluster model works fine when you get to 5th grade.

Advanced Math and LIV students start 6th grade math, which includes taking the 6th grade SOL. They have to be in a class on their own, at least for math. The 5th grade class ends up with an Advanced Math/LIV group and a Gen Ed group. This effectively becomes a LLIV classroom because all of the kids in it have to be able to handle the accelerated math. Schools are not going to risk the LIV/Advanced Math kids failing the 6th SOL by slowing down teaching those kids and they are not going to risk the Gen Ed kids failing the 5th grade SOL by having them in math that is a year ahead.

Even if your school changes classrooms for subjects, the math groups are set by the type of math the kids are in so the “cluster” is based on ability and the material taught should match that ability. I would guess that the clustering is similar for LA. Our school does not change classrooms for subjects so the clusters, at least in fifth grade, are based on Math ability. About half the kids are in the Advanced Math classes and the other half in Gen Ed.

Deferring LIV placement was pretty common at our school, LLIV is new to us, and LIV kids moved into AAP Classes at MS without issue. We feed into a Center MS that has a reputation of being a TJ Feeder. So the Gen Ed program with Advanced Math and LIII has not hindered the Committee placed kids. I would guess that the LLIV program, cluster model, will have a similar experience.

Our school is low FARMs and ESL so I can see why the outcome would be different then schools with a wider range of skills. I would guess that most schools the clusters in 3-4 are likely not all that exciting but that things will adjust in 5th otherwise the almighty SOL scores will take a hit and no school wants that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're in a diverse (not title I) school and I am the child of a non LLIV in a class with LLIV kids. I will say that my child is doing MUCH better in this class than she was in a class with less advanced children. This is a boon for non-AAP kids - everyone is living up to their true potential. My child is in a class with ESOL kids, too, they're doing really well. It's great for ALL kids which is what we should all be wanting out of our school system.

#Sorrynotsorry if this is not what you want to hear.

My kid is local. The pitch that the principal made was that the presence of level IV kids allows the school to offer the level IV curriculum which is better for all children. The more kids who stay, the more they can spread clusters across different classes and any class with a cluster gets the level IV curriculum

So glad to hear this approach is working well for your child, but clustering is much more common in Title I settings where there aren't enough LIV students to make up a full class. Because so many students are behind, the LIV curriculum can't reasonably be implemented for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're in a diverse (not title I) school and I am the child of a non LLIV in a class with LLIV kids. I will say that my child is doing MUCH better in this class than she was in a class with less advanced children. This is a boon for non-AAP kids - everyone is living up to their true potential. My child is in a class with ESOL kids, too, they're doing really well. It's great for ALL kids which is what we should all be wanting out of our school system.

#Sorrynotsorry if this is not what you want to hear.

My kid is local. The pitch that the principal made was that the presence of level IV kids allows the school to offer the level IV curriculum which is better for all children. The more kids who stay, the more they can spread clusters across different classes and any class with a cluster gets the level IV curriculum

So glad to hear this approach is working well for your child, but clustering is much more common in Title I settings where there aren't enough LIV students to make up a full class. Because so many students are behind, the LIV curriculum can't reasonably be implemented for everyone.

The new identification process is likely to increase the numbers of kids accepted at Title 1 schools so the numbers are likely to change. Maybe they will end up with a different distribution that will affect the classroom distribution.