Students whose enrollment applications were processed after the beginning of April, will be included in the Intentional Integration Initiatives’s next rounds of placements. DATE TBD.
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SOMSD Intentional Integration Initiative (III)
SOMSD Intentional Integration Initiative (III)
Spearheaded by the office of the Superintendent, the SOMSD Intentional Integration Initiative (SOMSD III) focuses on equity and access, including developing an integration plan that ensures that the student populations in each of our schools are reflective of our district’s diversity, and on fostering innovation in our elementary schools. The final goal of this initiative is to ensure that all of our schools are welcoming and engaging learning environments, with a strong foundation in cultural competency and equity, so that each and every student is challenged, inspired and supported to develop their potential as learners and citizens. We look forward to continued engagement with you around this work, and around our shared values of equity, excellence, and opportunity for all students in SOMSD.
What is Intentional Integration?
What is Intentional Integration?
The South Orange & Maplewood School District (SOMSD) is committed to fostering diverse, inclusive, and equitable learning environments for all students. As part of this commitment, the district has launched the Intentional Integration Initiative (III) to promote socioeconomic integration and racial/ethnic representation in our schools that reflects our whole community. This initiative is designed to ensure that all students have access to high-quality education, enriched learning experiences, and a strong sense of belonging within a diverse community.
The Intentional Integration Initiative is a research-based approach to student assignment that prioritizes equity and diversity across all elementary schools in SOMSD. The initiative is centered on:
Balanced Enrollment: Using a data-driven system to ensure a more equitable distribution of students across schools based on socioeconomic factors.
Access to Resources: Ensuring that all students, regardless of their assigned school, receive the same rigorous academic opportunities and extracurricular programs.
Long-Term Sustainability: Creating a model that supports ongoing integration efforts that works within our communities’ housing patterns.
Placement of Students Grades K-5
Students in grades K-5 in SOMSD are placed through III. Upon enrollment in Kindergarten or transferring into the District in grades 1-5, students are assigned to their closest of the District’s six elementary schools, provided that the assignment maintains the district’s target levels of socioeconomic (SES) balance across schools.
The algorithm is based on a formula that utilizes two variables:
Parental Education Level
Parental Income
These variables are combined to create a diversity index which is then used to categorize the neighborhoods within SOMSD into three SES tiers: Low (1), Medium (2), High (3).
What Criteria will be Used to Determine What Schools Students will Be Placed In?
What Criteria will be Used to Determine What Schools Students will Be Placed In?
The District’s integration method uses an algorithm that considers the following variables for student placement:
The District’s integration method uses an algorithm that considers the following variables for student placement:
Proximity
Parental Education Level
Parental Income
Sibling Preference
*While the District monitors the impact of III via racial demographics, race is not a determinant for placement.
*While the District monitors the impact of III via racial demographics, race is not a determinant for placement.
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