Carpenter Elementary in Ann Arbor has a combined fourth- and fifth-grade classroom for the first time in more than a decade.

Teacher Quran Jackson leads the multi-age class, where students from both grade levels work on leadership and self-advocacy skills. The classroom ties into Carpenter's school-wide IMPACT theme for the year, which emphasizes routines, listening and trying their best, according to AAPS District News.

"Having the opportunity to teach both grade levels challenges all of the areas of my teaching and instruction," Jackson said in the Sept. 29 profile.

The feature is part of a new AAPS series called "A minute in the room," which spotlights everyday teaching across the district.

Carpenter Elementary serves students in kindergarten through fifth grade under Principal Michael Johnson. NCES reported enrollment of 363 students in 2024-25. The district's Sept. 29 feature did not say why the split-grade model returned or how many students are in Jackson's class.