At a work session Monday, the Eden Prairie School Board heard a report from Principal Arnette Bell and several teachers about the looping program at Oak Point Intermediate School.

Beginning in fall 2008, incoming fifth-graders will remain with the same teachers for two years, unless they opt out of the looping program.

Current fifth-graders will not loop unless they are part of a voluntary program.

The practice requires a partnership of two teachers. When one moves up to sixth grade, the other moves back to instructing fifth grade.

“It’s an innovative practice, although it’s not new,” Bell said.

She said there’s a large body of research that supports the strategy. She said research shows that looping programs can lead to improved student achievement, adding the equivalent of four weeks of instruction time to the sixth-grade year.

“We’re building a stronger community,” she said.

Why loop?

“It’s really focused on improved student achievement,” Bell said. With a low cost, the program has been shown to improve student attendance, build relationships among students, teachers and parents and improve achievement, she said.

She said that Oak Point Intermediate is doing fine, and test scores are stable.

“We are doing OK, we are moving along, but it’s been stable for many years,” Bell said. “We need to do something with this strategy to kick it up a notch.”

Kamarrie Davis Gooding, director of testing and assessment for the district, said that the district sees a decline in maintaining proficiency as students move from fourth to fifth grade and from fifth to sixth grade.

In addition, the district has been working to improve the achievement gap between students of color and white students.

“There’s a larger gap created as they move through the system,” Bell said and a PowerPoint presentation outlined.

“We feel we can make a difference,” she said.

Communicating

Bell was asked if parents and staff were adequately informed about the decision-making process.

She said that information was sent out to fourth- and fifth-grade parents, a Q&A responding to staff and parent questions was designed and parent transition meetings, as well as meetings with teachers have been and will continue to be held.

“We continue to look at how we can improve our communication plan,” Bell said. “This is a change, we know that. There’s lots of information that we need to make sure that’s clear.”

School Board Member Jim Mortenson asked how staff is dealing with “rumors” that she said have been circulating.

Bell said that discussions have occurred through e-mail, phone calls and one-on-one meetings, as well as asking staff to help her respond to questions.

She said one misconception is that all current fifth-graders are looping to sixth grade this next year. “No, that’s not the plan,” she said.

Parents will also be able to have their children to opt out of the looping program, although she said research shows that usually more than 90 percent choose to stay with looping.

School Board Member Holly Parker said that research suggested starting out small and that parents and teachers should have a choice about looping from the beginning. She asked “why we’re opting for a solution or a strategy that’s not in line with what the research says.”

“With any change, the research would probably say bring your change agents along first,” Bell responded. “And we’ve done that.” She said the school is at a point where it can’t wait any longer.

Parker said that opting out would be a very difficult decision for a parent to make.

Bell said that teachers and parents questioning the program aren’t looking at the broad picture related to student achievement.

‘Urgency’

Superintendent Melissa Krull said that when she looks at test results, “The word that comes to mind is urgency.”

Krull said that if the district is to do the work to address the achievement gap and improve student achievement, it’s a move that must be made.

She said that things will be done at Oak Point to address “questions, concerns and fears people have about making change.”

School Board Member Jill Scholtz agreed that the situation is urgent. She said looping is an inexpensive, efficient use of time that helps close the gap, but also helps students with a higher level of achievement.

“We shouldn’t still have this gap,” she said. “It’s embarrassing.”

However, she said, “It’s really, really unfortunate that this type of discussion didn’t happen with parents.

“It’s too bad that we can’t do it slowly,” she added. But, “I don’t want to deny any student an increase in student achievement because we want to make sure everybody’s comfortable. I think there’s another way to do that.”

Mortenson asked what reservations staff members have about the program. Some concerns included the possibility of having a class that’s more difficult for two years in a row. In addition there were concerns about learning new curriculum for an additional grade.

Bell said that training and additional resources will be given to the teachers.

School Board Member Jan Eian said she hoped the district could “not only bring teachers on board, but get them really excited.”

Executive Director of Educational Services Larry Leebens said that for him it’s an ethical decision.

“If I truly believe that looping will make an academic difference then why would I ethically allow a parent to make a choice?” he asked. “I can’t ethically do that.”