For K-2 teams
Class placement for kindergarten and the early grades
In the youngest grades, teachers notice things a test score misses: who settles easily, who needs support, who benefits from a familiar face. Record the placement details your school approves, then use them to review the mix in each proposed class.
What makes early-grade placement its own problem
Placing five- and six-year-olds is less about academics and more about temperament, routine, and the small relationships that make a child feel safe.
The data you trust most is not on the form
A kindergarten team knows which children fall apart when separated from a friend and which need a calm neighbor. That knowledge rarely fits a column labeled "reading level."
Incoming classes have almost no history
For rising kindergartners you often have screening notes and a parent survey, not years of records. Balancing a class from thin data takes a structure you can adjust as you learn more.
One separation can derail a child’s first month
Split the wrong pair of friends and you spend September managing tears instead of teaching routines. The cost of a missed relationship is high and immediate at this age.
How Shibutz works for a K-2 team
The tool bends toward teacher observation. You decide which signals matter and record the relationships that carry the most weight for young children.
- 1
Track the signals that fit early grades
Use the social, emotional, behavioral, and learning scales to record agreed observations. Mark support needs separately so staff can review more than academic readiness.
Set up student profiles - 2
Protect the friendships that steady a child
Record pairing preferences that help a child settle, and separation rules where two children struggle together. Check both in the draft classes.
Set friend preferences - 3
Review the room, then adjust as you learn
Generate a draft and review the mix. Update the roster or rules as screening and staff observations sharpen your picture over the summer.
Generate a placement
Building three kindergarten classes from thin data
A rising kindergarten cohort arrives with screening notes and a short parent survey. The team meets, and instead of arguing over one child at a time, they record what they know: two pairs of preschool friends who should stay together, one child who needs a settled neighbor, and a rough readiness scale for early literacy.
They set classroom capacities and generate a draft. The team compares learning and support profiles, gender counts, and the requested pairings. If one room needs another look, they revise the roster or rules and generate again.
Before the first day, each teacher reviews the staff-approved list with the reasoning still attached. Nothing is left to a forgotten sticky note.
Questions from kindergarten and k-2 teams
- We barely have data for incoming kindergartners. Can we still use this?
- Yes. Start with the approved details you have, such as friend requests and learning-support levels. Update the roster as screening and staff observations add to the picture.
- Can we prioritize friendships over academics at this age?
- You can record the friendships that matter, but there is no setting to give them a higher priority than learning needs. Review friend-request results and the class mix together before approving the lists.
- Can teachers’ observations shape the placement?
- Yes. Collect teachers’ observations and record the relevant scales and pairing preferences. Use that input when reviewing the draft classes.
- What if a friendship changes before the year starts?
- Update the preference and generate another draft. Check the changed pairing alongside the other relationships before approving the new lists.
- Can we try Shibutz before paying?
- Yes. Free includes 1 class list, up to 25 students per class list, and 3 placement generations per class list. Pro is $199/year and includes unlimited class lists, students, and placement generations, XLSX export for staff review, and billing management for invoices, payment details, and subscription status. Compare Free and Pro on the pricing page.
Know where student data goes.
Before adding a roster, understand how Shibutz uses your information and check your school's privacy requirements.
- Sign-in and profile
- Clerk handles account sign-in and the profile details you choose to save.
- Roster and results
- Your rosters, placement rules, settings, and saved results are linked to your account.
- Generation and export
- When you generate or export a placement, the Shibutz placement service processes the roster and placement details needed for that request.
- School approval
- Use only student information your school has authorized you to share. Review our privacy details before uploading a roster.
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Give your youngest students a class that fits them
Bring teacher observations into your roster, review the draft classes, and revise as you learn more.