Ashland-Greenwood
Public Schools
Revised
July, 2005
The Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools, with family and
community cooperation, promotes life-long learning to awaken, develop and
enhance the individual potential.
·
All students can learn, yet students
learn differently.
·
Teachers are capable of meeting the
diverse citizens in a democratic society.
·
Schools help prepare students to be
contributing citizens in a democratic society.
·
Schools model the values of honesty,
hard work, cooperation and respect for self and others.
·
Students and staff have a positive
attitude toward the learning process.
·
Learning is a life-long endeavor.
·
Schools provide a safe, positive and
exciting environment.
·
School programs focus on life skills.
·
Every student is important and capable;
schools are committed to each individual student’s success.
·
Students must learn how to think and
how to learn.
·
Successful schools are partners with
the school community.
·
Students are responsible for their
actions.
·
Schools provide opportunities for
social development and interaction.
The Ashland-Green Schools are committed to an educational
program that develops in the students the principle of self-reliance, rational
thought, intelligent discrimination and clear expression of ideas. The Ashland-Greenwood program for high
ability students is an integral part of this commitment. The program for high ability students is
called REACH. REACH stands reaching
inward to develop our potential and reaching outward to be productive.
Learner with High
Ability.
“Learning with high ability means a student who gives
evidence of high performance capability in such areas as intellectual,
creative, or artistic capacity or in specific academic fields and who require
services or activities not ordinary provided by the school in order to develop
those capabilities fully.” [as defined in
The Ashland-Greenwood High Ability Program is designed to:
·
Provide a framework for identification
of high ability children.
·
Provide alternatives that are
appropriately styled to encourage growth at realistic levels of abilities,
interest and needs.
·
Encourage an open, intellectual
atmosphere based on individual interests of students.
·
Develop each student’s ability to
recognize, integrate and utilize his/her potential in order to become
self-actualizing individuals.
·
Provide a classroom atmosphere that provides
emotional support to reinforce confidence in the validity of their gifts and
talents.
·
Provide guidance and counseling to meet
the needs of the gifted.
·
To expose the student to broader
intellectual horizons that can be pursued through his/her learning career.
·
Differentiate curriculum within the
normal classroom setting, so the needs of the identified are constantly met.
·
Evaluate goals, activities, materials,
procedures and accomplishments of the program for the high ability students.
In order for a student to be considered as a high ability
student they must first be nominated.
Self, peers, teachers or parents may make the nomination.
Self-nominations
allow students who believe they have special talents, skills or above average
academic achievement to be considered for inclusion in high ability
programming.
Peer
nominations are most accurate in a learning
environment with open opportunities for the gifted to produce at their level of
capability.
Teacher
nomination allows former and current teachers,
principals and other school resource personnel, the opportunity to nominate
students whom they know have high capabilities.
Parent
nomination allows the parents a source to provide
information on their child at any grade level.
Parents provide information on advanced abilities and knowledge that are
not always apparent to the teacher.
The self, peer, teacher and parent nomination forms are used
for initial nomination of high ability students.
The coordinator for the high ability program shall collect
data on each nominated student. Any of
the following instruments may be used for the purpose of determining high
ability students. All or any single data
instrument may be used to support the identification of a student. These instruments include:
Intelligence
Tests: Ability test information regarding verbal and nonverbal
abilities may be collected for considering a candidate. Students scoring at the 90% national
percentile or higher shall be given serious consideration for identification as
high ability.
Achievement
Tests: The district achievement test shall be administered each
spring and the results reviewed for those nominated for inclusion in the high
ability program. Students who score 90%
or higher in the math portion, reading and/or language shall be given serious
consideration for identification.
Performance
Data: The student, teacher and/or parent shall be asked to submit
performance data that may include real-world behavior and authentic
assessments. Performance data may also
include science projects, hobbies and interests, reading levels, writing
samples, CCC math level and classroom grades.
Students who demonstrate exceptional rather than normal
skills and abilities shall be given serious consideration for identification.
Alternative
Identification Procedures: Alternative identification
procedures shall be used for minority students nominated for program inclusion. The program coordinator shall maintain a list
of alternative identification procedures.
A committee appointed by the building principal and
consisting of the program coordinator, counselor and classroom teachers shall review
data on all nominated students. This information shall include multiple
assessments and performance data collected on that student. The committee shall determine whether or not
the student qualities for inclusion in a program for high ability students. A
simple majority of the members may vote to include a student. In cases of uncertainty, the committee
members are directed to err in placement of the student in the program rather
than to err in the exclusion of the student.
A student who has previously been identified for inclusion
into the REACH program shall automatically be included regardless of whether or
not he/she meets current standards or criteria.
The
parents and teachers of the student identified as a high ability student shall
be notified within 30 days of each school term.
Step Five: Appeal of
Committee Decisions
Any
parent who does not agree with the decision of the selection committee may
request a meeting with the selection committee for the purpose of appealing the
decision. The committee shall review the
data with the parent. The parent shall
have an opportunity to provide the committee with additional information.
The
committee may then make a new determination as to whether or not to select the
student for inclusion in the high ability program.
If the
parent still does not agree with the decision of the committee, the parent may
request in writing that the student be identified for the high ability program.
Upon
getting such an appeal, the principal shall place the child into the high
ability program.
Differentiated Cognitive
and Affective Curricular and Instructional Plans
A
variety of programs shall be available to service students of high ability. The classroom teacher shall, working with the
program coordinator, identify the programs the student shall participate in to
meet his/her needs.
These programs shall include:
Elementary
·
Expanded
Literature Studies
(Junior Great Books, Golden Sower Books)
·
Classroom
Compacting
·
Independent
Learning
·
Creativity
Activities
·
Field
Studies or Trips
·
Peer
Tutoring
·
Differentiated
Curriculum
·
Guided
·
Writer’s
Workshop
·
Literature
Circles
·
CCC
Math/NOVA Net Math
·
Science
in a Nutshell
·
Elementary
Choir
Secondary
·
Differentiated
Curriculum
·
Accelerated
Curriculum
·
Advanced
Placement Courses
·
Independent
Study
·
Peer
Tutoring
·
Club
and Athletic Activities
·
Dual
Enrollment
Guidance and Counseling of
High Ability Students
·
School-to-Work
Program
·
Job
Shadowing
·
Tech
Prep Program
·
Careers
Exploration
·
College
and University Visits
·
Field
Trips
·
Interpersonal
Skills Counseling
·
Small
Group Counseling
·
X-Files
Overall Program Evaluation
The
program coordinator shall periodically meet with teachers to collaborate about
the high ability students and the program. The program’s goals and objectives
will receive continuous review as to their effectiveness by staff and school
administration.
Students
and parents will receive communication regarding the program and students
activities to meet REACH goals and objectives.
Achievement test scores and other forms of academic
measurement will be reviewed by the coordinator. The coordinator shall make recommendations
for program additions or changes to the building principals or superintendent.
The program coordinator as a result of program evaluations
shall identify staff training and assistance needs for high ability
learners. The coordinator may distribute
professional literature, speak at staff meetings, provide staff in-services,
and distribute information on staff development opportunities in order to meet
staff needs.
The program coordinator is responsible for the selection
process. The program coordinator will
provide activities that facilitate opportunities for the high ability student
to communicate and study with others of high ability. The program coordinator
shall serve as a resource for the classroom teachers to provide appropriate
activities for high ability students.