Now tried and tested: School allocation via isa tool

With this year’s allocations, for the first time we were able to carry out the entire allocation process for Uster Primary School (Switzerland) in the isa tool. The school administration first tests several variants of optimized catchment zones in the interactive GIS map. School administrators now have access to optimize the subsequent class allocations directly in the isa tool and adjust them together with their school team using Drag’n’Drop. The universally applicable, license-based web application will be available to other interested school administrations from autumn 2025.

Optimized school and class allocations – without AI

The isa tool uses intuitively comprehensible, rule-based procedures to create proposals for the annual determination of school catchment zones and class allocations. We deliberately rely on high-quality school data and do not use artificial intelligence in the sense of self-learning systems. During optimization, attention is paid to short and safe routes to school and balanced compositions according to gender, skills, support needs and social and linguistic background. In this way, the isa tool contributes to conducive learning conditions for all students.

Workflow

The isa tool fits into existing workflows with school administration programs. For this purpose, comprehensive school data is read in, the allocations are made in the isa tool and these are then fed back into the primary database. It requires the following standard exports or direct access to the corresponding data in the primary tool (already set up for school administration solution PUPIL):

• School buildings: address, school unit, school management, e-mail address
• Planned classes/current classes: school building, program year, track/type if applicable, teachers, e-mail address
• Students: current class, planned program year, planned class (if set), address, foreign language skills, knowledge of the language of instruction, track/type (if applicable), support needs, assessments and comments from providing teachers, application for school or class allocation with comments
•  Survey of supplying teachers in the isa tool: joint/separate class allocations

In the background, we add the GIS map, including the complete footpath network and sections of path and road crossings classified according to traffic load for the simulation of all school routes. Location-based social indicators are also considered for area optimization. We use aggregated data at the level of quarters as modeling units. On request, we can provide the relevant tax offices with a secure offline tool for the automated aggregation of tax data.

Optimization of catchment zones

The imported school administration data is automatically geolocalized, updated and correlated. The school administration determines the planned classes to be taken into account for school and/or class allocation and creates optimized catchment zones at the touch of a button. The optimization of catchment zones can be repeated for different scenarios by selecting or deselecting planned classes in different schools. In this way, several variants can be created and compared with each other as early as the class planning phase. The catchment zones are displayed with the common frame color of the assigned quarters (see illustration, fictitious data). The right-hand side of the screen shows statistics on capacity utilization per school building, the ratio by gender and the mixing index for composition by skills and social and linguistic background (hidden).

Adjustments in the GIS map

To adjust the catchment zones, the individual quarters can be reassigned using the drop-down menu. The students receive a rough assignment according to the assignment of their quarters, but can also be assigned individually to another school. Each adjustment is reflected in the school statistics. The inner coloring of the quarters according to the mixing index makes it possible to predict the effect of a reallocation on the school compositions. It is also helpful to display the calculated reasonable school routes per child and school.

The points in the map for the students are colored according to the formerly attended kindergarten or school. This ensures that their division into different schools is carried out in groups where possible. In addition, it highlights students whose different allocation should be continued if necessary (example in illustration). If a request for a different school allocation has been entered for a child, the name of the requested school appears next to the data point. In future, a similar note will also appear if siblings have a different school location. In this way, it can be checked on a case-by-case basis and in the respective context whether corresponding needs can be addressed.

Class allocation via Drag’n’Drop by the school teams

For the first time this spring, school principals received an invitation email to make class assignments for their kindergartens and schools directly in the isa tool. In response to requests, the previous survey of the supplying teachers on recommended joint and separate class allocations for their students was further refined. Therefore, in addition to a limited number of priority links, any number of subordinate desirable links can also be included in the class allocation.

At the touch of a button, the isa tool assigns the students to the planned classes by taking into account the differently weighted links and the balanced composition of the classes according to gender, foreign language, support needs and skills.

The school management and the school teams involved have the following options:

• View comments from supplying teachers or from applications
• Add or delete links accordingly
• Drag’n’Drop students and linked students between classes
• Fixing individual students in a class
• Re-optimization taking into account the above adjustments

The class statistics on gender, foreign languages, skills and support needs are always visible. The cells for the students are arranged in two columns according to gender and colored according to the calculated competence factor. A second view shows how well the entered links are considered in the current class constellations (see image). Even with manual adjustments, this provides a dynamic picture of the expected well-being of the students and possible class dynamics. The isa tool also takes into account existing classmates in multi-year classes and is also suitable for secondary schools with classes managed separately by department or type.

Added value of the isa tool

The use of the isa tool is not only worthwhile for school administrations that previously worked with city maps and pins, profile sheets and parallel Excel tables. The GIS modules of established school administration programs are also limited to shifting manual allocation processes from paper to the screen. The isa tool uses the opportunities of digitalization comprehensively and responsibly:

• Automatic creation of fair and practical allocation proposals based on high-quality data and considering scientifically founded criteria
• Simple comparison of alternative catchment zones for classroom and school space planning
• Interactive GIS map and Drag’n’Drop class allocation including live evaluations for careful review and adjustment by the school administration and school teams
• Data protection-compliant consideration of social background and social dynamics
• Objectification of stress factors at school and class level creates acceptance and enables targeted use of resources
• In the event of a dispute, allocation decisions can be justified in a comprehensible manner and with reference to the data basis

The isa tool certainly offers the greatest benefit in cities and municipalities with densely populated residential areas and easily accessible alternative school locations. For smaller municipalities and upper school centers, we offer a reduced license for carrying out class allocations.

We are happy to offer interested school administrations a non-binding demonstration. Write to us! mail@villejuste.com

The isa tool in the media

An automated system that actually brings social improvement:
«In four years of covering automated systems, I’ve come across one exception. Swiss scholars designed a pupil-assignation algorithm to make schools more diverse in urban districts. A small town implemented it, automatically reducing segregation in schools. This example shows that courageous decision-makers could deploy automated systems to improve lives.»

Nicolas Kayser-Bril from AlgorithmWatch Europe