? for middle school teachers

[DNSDisney]

Could someone explain to me how "teams" are decided in Middle school? Refering to like 6A 6B 6C for 6th grade . How do they decided which students are on which teams?

Thanks,
Sharon

 

[wendyl]

Totally depends on the school. Most schools try to look at test scores, grades, ages, and sex to get the most balanced classes.

 

[Cindy B]

Ok, I can give you some insight. Mind you this is just the paraprofessional talking, but it may help.

First off, our school had an optional International Baccalaureate program, (IB), so the teams were decided as IB and Non IB.

Now the school is completely IB , there are other criteria.

My team is somewhat skewed. We have a large proportianate number of special education (IEP) students on our team. There are certain ratios for classes (can only have certain amount in each inclusion classroom, I think the maximum amount is 9 per class).

I can't say that sex is an issue, because our team is very boy-heavy as well. I think its almost 75-25 in favor of the boys. (Some classes have only 3 girls and 21 boys!).

Yes, I do think test scores had something to do with it as well. I do think learning styles/teaching styles had something to do with it as well.

I do think they try to separate the behavior children as much as possible, but that doesn't always work.

We also have 107 students on our team.

 

[TimeforMe]

I would agree that they are looking for a "balance" in each team i.e.; above average, average, below average students. They also try to balance the genders, but are not always able. Usually (in our school anyway) sibling are kept on the same teams in future years.

 

[floridaminnie]

The computer decides for us and it's total random which can lead to interesting years sometimes.

 

[JulieWent]

We let the computer run it randomly; then we balance for boy / girl / test score ratios / IEP (special education students) / racial diversity / etc. when we see that the computer has kicked out an unbalanced team. (We have a pre-IB/AP program, too, so we have to balance those numbers as well.)

 

[Sandy51]

Math classes are the main priority. They are balanced and the rest of the classes are grouped boy/girl. We (the 7th grade teams) usually have some input, as far as separating certain kids who shouldn't be together, for the 8th grade teachers. Sometimes parents request a certain team, but usually they are told nothing can be guaranteed.


Sandy

 

[janette]

At my 12yo DD's school all the LEAP (Learning Enrichment Academic Program) or gifted program students are all on the same team.

 

[Kallison]

We try to balance it out with gifted to learning support students and everything in between.

 

[DNSDisney]

Thanks to all of you for your input!!
the reason for the question was so I would have an idea of what I am talking about to my DD teacher about moving her away from the kids she is on team with this year.
The majority of them seem to have some Major Issues, then there are the reg LD kids (which my daughter is, she is dyslexic).
Seems that this year they have somehow lumped all the LD and behavior problem kids together on one team. I am trying to get her more mainstreamed i guess you would say. I just don't want her to end up spending the majority of her school life with a large # of kids who just don't care if they are there or not. She only has resource reading and lang. arts, the rest of her classes are intermediate accept for math which is adv.(pre alg. next yr 7th grade)
I am hoping they will move her on another team and let her go off team for lang. arts and reading.
Am I dreamin or is this a real possiblity? Do any of you have anything happening like this in your schools?

Any words of wisdom or advice would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Cindy B]

Originally posted by DNSDisney
I just don't want her to end up spending the majority of her school life with a large # of kids who just don't care if they are there or not. She only has resource reading and lang. arts, the rest of her classes are intermediate accept for math which is adv.(pre alg. next yr 7th grade)
I am hoping they will move her on another team and let her go off team for lang. arts and reading.
Am I dreamin or is this a real possiblity? Do any of you have anything happening like this in your schools?

Any words of wisdom or advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Unforutunately her team sounds like mine this year. The administration and guidance office (in their wisdom ) decided to put a huge amount of IEP students on my team. Most of the kids don't wnat to be there, large amount of absences, etc...

As for off team reading language arts, does your team have a specific resource teacher? My team has two special education teacher (one does pull out math, language arts, reading and inclusion math). Another teacher does inclusion all subjects (humanities, language arts, spanish, science) except for math, and teaches no pull out classes. We have one off team special education teacher for one pull out reading class. (I assist in this class).

We have 27 IEP student on a team of 107. We are at our maximum allowed number of inclusion (9) in all classes. Every class with the exception of two ==6 teachers 4 cores each = 24 classes, has inclusion students in it.

 

[DNSDisney]

As for off team reading language arts, does your team have a specific resource teacher?
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This year for 6th grade they only have one reading/lang. arts resource teacher. I am not sure about next yr.
And yes your team does sound like my daughters team this year!
I am annoyed that they call this mainstreaming and then lump all the LD and behavior problems in the same team! That isn't mainstreaming! I realize that some LD kids have other problems but not all of them do so why lump the ones that want to learn with the ones that couldn't give a flip. They already have a tough time with school anyway. Why complicate it even more! And at this age they so easily pick up their peers habits.
Sorry didn't mean to start to vent just frustrated !!