Every year, school-based staff are allocated, based on legislative requirements, including class size regulations, Collective Agreement provisions, Board decisions, and available resources. Each individual TDSB school receives a specific number of staff, including teachers, based on the number of students at the school and taking into account the factors listed above.
Based on the number of teaching staff allocated to a school (based on enrolment), it is sometimes necessary to create combined grade classes with one teacher and students from two or three consecutive grades.
Why do combined grade classes exist and how are students selected for classes?
The Ministry of Education provides funding for teachers primarily based on student enrolment (at specific dates in the school year). In some cases, there are too many students for one class/teacher but not enough to fund two or three single-grade classes with a dedicated teacher. In these instances, students from two or three consecutive grades are combined into a single class with one teacher.
For example, a school does not receive the funding to form three separate classes with a dedicated teacher when a very small number of students are projected (e.g. a school with a total projection of eight Grade 4 students, nine Grade 5 students, and seven Grade 6 students). In this instance, a combined grade class with one teacher and 24 students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 would be created.
Principals and staff consider learning styles, social skills, and academic needs when grouping students into classes. All classrooms, whether single-grade or combined, include students with a range of skills, abilities, and achievement levels.
How do combined grade classes affect students?
The benefits of combined grade classes include the development of independent learning skills, learning from peers, social/emotional growth, and leadership opportunities. In all classes, single-grade and combined, teachers assess individual student needs and plan lessons based on the Ontario Curriculum to prepare all students for their next grade.
How can a teacher teach more than one grade at a time? What teaching strategies are used in combined grade classes?
In both single-grade and combined grade classes, teachers use a wide range of strategies to ensure all curriculum expectations are covered. Students in a combined grade follow expectations for their specific grade.
Teachers use a variety of strategies to reach a range of learners at different grade levels and look at the individual learning needs and progress of each student to plan an appropriate program for all students to succeed.