Want to chime in on the practice of "looping" in elementary schools? Here's the story that ran in the print edition of the Villager this week:

Completing the loop

By Chuck Friedbauer

Correspondent

“I like my teacher,” said Clover Ridge fourth-grade student Joey Klitzke. “I’ve really gotten used to her over the last two years as I’ve learned more about her.”

Jan Bedow, Joey’s teacher, said two years with the same students helps her get to know them better. “Over those two years, a teacher can tap into what students know and jump right into their needs much more than just relying on test scores.”

The educational practice of keeping students and teachers together for more than one year is called “looping.” District 112 elementary schools utilizing the practice typically do so for two years.

Where “multi-age experiences” are designed to foster relationships between students of different ages, looping primarily focuses on student/teacher relationships.

While looping has been gaining popularity around the country since the 1990s, it is not a new practice. The Department of Interior recommended it in 1913, but referred to it as “teacher retention.” District 112 began looping formally in 1996 with the opening of Bluff Creek Elementary.

Clover Ridge, East Union and Victoria all formally employ looping in some fashion. “Looping is a good way to personalize relationships between teachers and students and their families,” said Cathy Gallagher, district K-12 curriculum coordinator.

Chanhassen, Chaska and Jonathan elementary schools do not have formal looping options. These schools still build similar relationships, just in different ways, said Chaska Elementary teacher-in-charge Marie Foster.

“I don’t think of this school as a traditional model like when I was in school,” said Foster. “Schools are so much more fluid, there are constantly little pockets of children developing relationships with many different teachers and adults.”

‘Less anxiety’

Looping helps students benefit from reduced apprehension at starting a new year, according to the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL).

This is readily apparent at their end-of-summer Back to School Night, said Clover Ridge Principal June Johnson. “When the families come in, you can tell students in the second year of looping. They have less anxiety about what to expect from their teachers,” Johnson said.

Fourth-grade Clover Ridge teacher Don Dainsberg said the second year of looping presents a relaxed atmosphere for teachers and parents. “The first year is about meeting each other,” said Dainsberg. “The second year is more like a reunion, discussing how the summer went and going through a checklist for starting the new school year.”

Looping is also efficient, according to Jim Grant, a national education researcher. In his book “Looping Q&A,” Grant said teachers start the second year as if it were the 181st day of school, needing virtually no period of adjustment before getting into the swing of learning. “When they come back (from summer vacation), the teacher knows where each student left off academically, which helps shorten recuperation time and start teaching immediately,” said Johnson.

“Research supports that the second year with the same teacher can save six to eight weeks students and teachers might need to become familiar with each other when changing yearly,” said East Union Principal Greg Lange.

Another advantage cited by the NCREL is the ability for teachers to increase their knowledge about a child’s intellectual strengths and weaknesses in ways impossible to achieve in a single year. “I can try different systems and cover more curriculum the more I know and learn about the kids,” said Clover Ridge fourth-grade teacher Chuck Zemek. “I’ve found the comfort level parents and students have with that increases over the two years.” 

Victoria fourth-grade teacher Stacy Busch is excited to have the same group of students as fifth-graders next year. “I love the idea of welcoming them back after summer, bonding quickly and getting right into the education because I’ll know their abilities, interest and personalities,” said Busch.

The NCREL said looping promotes a community feel and helps large schools become less anonymous. Bluff Creek Principal Joan MacDonald said a criticism of large elementary schools is the difficulty for children to make significant connections to a school or the people in it. “One great outcome of looping is the opportunities to make meaningful relationships,” said MacDonald. “No matter the class size or school enrollment, a child can make significant connections to others.”

According to the NCREL, looping also permits students to get to know each other and become better able to resolve conflicts. Helen Zenobian, a mother of a fifth-grade student at Victoria Elementary, said personality conflicts will exist between students. “My daughter had some issues with different personalities in fourth grade, but she decided to make it work this year,” said Zenobian. “Sometimes, you learn in life, things don’t always go away. It definitely made her stronger and she can deal with anything now.”

District looping schools perform it in slightly different fashions. Clover Ridge and Bluff Creek loop all grades except fifth, which provides an opportunity to prepare them for middle school, Johnson said. Victoria Elementary keeps third-grade students with their teacher for only one year. “We would like to loop all our grades, but we have an odd number,” said Lori Beth Warnberg, Victoria teacher-in-charge. “This way, we can have our third-grade students in activities with either side.” East Union keeps first-grade students with a teacher for one year and loops with second- through fifth-grade.

Not looping

Looping can also have disadvantages, according to experts.

Most individual researchers and organizations, like Grant and the NCREL, indicate longer contact can amplify negative, as well as positive, aspects of the relationship.

Lange said one negative aspect with looping is the possibility teacher and student styles won’t be a good fit. “You depend on the child and teacher being able to get along, but the learning and teaching styles don’t always match,” said Lange. “We always provide the opportunity to reevaluate placement in those cases.”

Johnson agreed relationships don’t always click. “We do review our placements each year, but this is my sixth year at Clover Ridge and we’ve had to transfer less than 10 families.”

Chanhassen, Chaska and Jonathan elementary schools do not employ looping practices. “Each school has its own DNA; teachers have different experience and interests,” said Cathy Gallagher, district K-12 curriculum coordinator. “They look at research and trends to come up with a plan that allows them to excel with their strengths. The energy they put behind something is what counts.”

Overall, the Chaska Elementary staff really likes the traditional practice of changing students every year, said Principal Roger Hunt. Foster said building healthy relationships lies with the approach used. “The kids will know if you’re happy to see them and are there to help. What the building is like, or which practice you use is not as important.”

Foster said students there have many opportunities to build relationships with adults. “There are so many professionals, like teachers, specialists, paraprofessionals and administrators, helping in so many ways, the kids really get to know everybody.”

Third-grade Chaska Elementary teacher Mary Mobeck said she’s building relationships with students before they reach her class. “We’re really on top of each other with our close accommodations. By the time they reach third grade, we’ve seen them many times and already have a good understanding of their needs.”