Student Placement Process

Newcastle Elementary Student Placement and Classroom Transfer Requests

Classroom assignments at Newcastle are guided by the following beliefs and principles:

• Every teacher is dedicated to high academic standards and meeting the learning and social needs of each child.
• Balanced classrooms should reflect our diverse society. All classes will be balanced with regards to student instructional levels, social/emotional/behavioral support needs, culture/ethnicity, gender, socio-economic standing, learning styles, and number of students.
• Every child’s placement is important and deserves careful consideration. Classroom teachers, specialists (PE, library, and music teachers), support staff and the principal are all part of the placement process. Parent input regarding exceptional needs is important, valued, and a part of the collaborative and careful process of creating balanced classrooms.
• Students benefit from new experiences.   A life lesson for children to learn is that working with a variety of student and teacher personal styles is enriching and helps prepare them to successfully handle new and different experiences.

Requests for student transfers from one classroom to another

A request for student transfer from one classroom to another is a complex, multi-stage process. It is taken very seriously due to the level of impact it has on teachers, the involved student, and classmates in both classrooms.

A change in classroom placement will only be considered if extenuating circumstances indicate that a substantial disruption to the student’s learning or social development will occur, even after modifications to the initial placement have been made. A change in classroom placement will not be made if the move seriously and negatively impacts the balance of the receiving classroom. Other factors that may present difficult teaching/learning conditions will also be taken into consideration. Within these considerations the following process will occur before consideration of a move is made:

1. Prior to requesting a classroom reassignment good faith efforts must be made to make the initial placement successful.  A good faith effort must include the following:
2. If good faith efforts at resolving concerns are not successful the parent may submit a written letter requesting a classroom reassignment explaining the rationale for the transfer request. The letter should address the academic/social needs of the student, the substantial disruption to the student’s learning or social development and should avoid statement of judgment about the teacher or other students.
3. Upon receipt of the written classroom reassignment request the principal will discuss the request with the parent and impacted staff to discuss concerns and a written response from the principal outlining the outcome of the request will be provided within ten school days of receipt of the initial written request.
4. The principal may also conduct the following when making a determination:

• Conferences with the teacher, and inclusion of the Principal or designee if initial teacher conferences did not resolve concerns
• A clearly articulated plan to make the initial placement successful, allowing 4-6 weeks for the plan to work
• Talk with the student
• Review the parent placement input form, if it was submitted before class lists were created
• Facilitate further modifications to the plan for making the initial placement successful.  All reasonable attempts to meet the needs of the student in the initial placement should be explored and attempted prior to a change of placement.
• Seek input from the student’s prior teacher(s) and/or the school’s Guidance Team