Eden Prairie parents feel out of the loop over looping

They say they were not aware about a plan to keep fifth-graders with the same teachers for two years to help improve scores. It starts next fall.

By PATRICE RELERFORD, Star Tribune

Last update: March 15, 2008 - 9:31 PM

More than 150 Eden Prairie parents showed up at a recent Oak Point Intermediate School meeting, most of them to oppose a program intended to keep their children in the "loop" academically.

As the meeting progressed, it was clear that while many parents weren't sold on "looping" -- an educational technique that will keep all Eden Prairie fifth- and sixth-graders with the same teachers for two years -- they also were upset because many hadn't heard about the initiative until recently.

"I don't know how they expect us to accept this as a community when they didn't communicate this with us," Eden Prairie parent Jessie Score said.

Oak Point Principal Arnette Bell said looping isn't a new concept -- it's been used at schools around the country and at Eden Prairie Central Middle School, as well as at elementary schools in the neighboring Chaska School District. It helps strengthen student-teacher relationships, she said.

"I think there's quite a bit of emotion around this issue," Bell said, "and we'll need to sort out all the issues around it so that [the parents] can feel comfortable."

Beginning next fall, incoming fifth-graders at Oak Point are to remain with a team of six to seven teachers -- keeping the same primary teacher, math teacher and other speciality instructors -- through fifth grade and as they're promoted to sixth grade. All Eden Prairie fifth-graders will be affected because Oak Point now serves all of the district's fifth- and sixth-grade students.

Parents would be able to ask to switch teachers after the first year based on their child's educational needs. "We've built that [option] in if it's a problem," Bell said. "But the research shows that only 2, maybe 3 percent of parents would opt out."

Nationally, proponents of looping contend that it's a cost-effective way to increase instructional time as schools face increased pressure to boost student achievement from year to year under state and federal education laws such as No Child Left Behind.

In 2007 test results, more than 22 percent of Oak Point students did not meet the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments standards for their grade level in math, and more than 12 percent fell short of the state benchmarks in reading. It's a pattern that has existed for several years, Bell said.

"The goal is that the team will become very familiar with that group of students," Bell said.

But parents who attended the Oak Point meeting said there are disadvantages to looping, including a lack of variety for students. And they said it's not guaranteed to boost achievement.

"Mandatory looping is not going to solve the achievement gap," Score said. "The studies aren't there for this age group" to show that looping necessarily improves performance, she said.

The perceived disregard on the part of the district for community input prompted Score and four other Eden Prairie parents -- Brenda Ritzen, Ranee Jacobus, Sherry Hocking and Cindy Becker -- to launch a website called www.oakpointlooping.com. Since it debuted March 5, more than 1,900 visitors have accessed the website, which includes links to research on looping and efforts to derail the Eden Prairie plan.

Members of the group that launched the website also are circulating a petition that asks the district to withdraw the initiative. Score said more than 400 people had signed the petition as of Thursday.

The website's organizers plan to attend the district's school board meeting at 7 p.m. Monday and voice their concerns.

Their main point is in the petition:

"We want to see the school continue to operate in the fashion it currently does and has for many years with great success in preparing our students to attend Central Middle School."

Patrice Relerford • 612-673-4395

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