High Ability

Vision Statement

Gifted, talented, and high potential youth from all backgrounds are actively supported through their journey to realize their valuable potential to build a gratifying, meaningful life, be nurtured as self-advocating learners, and serve as leaders within their classrooms and communities for the well-being of others.

Mission Statement

High ability students understand themselves and their responsibility to become original, thoughtful, humble, and fair-minded thinkers in a fluid learning environment that stimulates curiosity, develops potential, prepares leaders, and motivates growth and development.

Goals

The goals for students in the high ability programs of the Crown Point Community Schools are as follows.
Students will:

explore their exceptional gifts, talents, and interests
expand their ability to access and interpret knowledge.
think critically and creatively in complex and abstract situations.
apply research to create original work.
understand and respect individuals of varying ability levels.

Definition of High Ability

State of Indiana Definition IC 20-10.1-5.1-2
(1) performs at, or shows the potential for performing at, an outstanding level of accomplishment in at least one domain when compared to other students of the same age, experience, or environment; and
(2) is characterized by exceptional gifts, talents, motivation, or interests.

Standards from the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)

Educators understand the variations in learning and development in cognitive, affective, and psychosocial areas between and among individuals with gifts and talents, creating learning environments that encourage awareness and understanding of interest, strengths, and needs; cognitive growth, social and emotional, and psychosocial skill development in school, home, and community settings
Assessments provide information about identification and learning progress for students with gifts and talents.
Educators apply evidence-based models of curriculum and instruction related to students with gifts and talents and respond to their needs by planning, selecting, adapting, and creating curriculum that is responsive to diversity. Educators use a repertoire of instructional strategies to ensure specific student outcomes and measurable growth.
Learning environments foster a love for learning, personal and social responsibility, multicultural competence, and interpersonal and technical communication skills for leadership to ensure specific student outcomes.
Educators use evidence-based practices to promote (a) the cognitive, social-emotional, and psychosocial skill development of students with gifts and talents and (b) programming that meets their interests, strengths, and needs. Educators make use of expertise systematically and collaboratively to develop, implement, manage, and evaluate services for students with a variety of gifts and talents to ensure specific student outcomes.

Course of Study

Elementary School: Differentiated curriculum in mixed-ability classrooms, pull-out program for language arts and mathematics in grades 3-5 and enrichment pullout services in grades K-2, and independent problem- or project-based anchor activities.

Middle School: Seminar courses in English, compacted courses in mathematics, and accelerated course pathway in science; differentiated curriculum; and independent problem- or project-based anchor activities.

High School: Honors and Advanced Placement courses

Instructional Strategies

Within the curriculum for high-ability learners, teachers incorporate the following.

Content that is related to broad-based issues, problems, or themes
Integration of multiple disciplines into an area of study
Inquiry and self-discovery
Comprehensive experiential learning within an area of study
In-depth learning of self-selected topics
Opportunities to challenge existing ideas and produce new ones
Utilization of new techniques, materials, and forms
Research skills and methods
Open-ended tasks
Integration of critical and creative thinking skills

Student Identification and Placement

Elementary

Identification for the high-ability enrichment for K-2 and pullout course of study for ELA and Math from grade 3-5 follows the process below.
To determine potential:

A universal cognitive screener is administered of all students in grades K (CogAT Screener) and 2 and 5 (InView).
All students in grades K-8 are administered an adaptive achievement assessment with both local and either state or national norm- referenced results.

Phase 1 A potential group of students to receive additional testing for placement into the high-ability program are identified by reviewing achievement on ILEARN and NWEA interim assessments, student cognitive reasoning abilities on CogAT in kindergarten and InView (grade 2), and teacher observation. Students at the 85th percentile or above are included in the potential group.
Phase 2 The group of students identified in Phase 1 are administered a Cognitive Abilities Test 1-year beyond their current grade level.
Phase 3 High Ability Program Placement notification is received by parents of students who perform at or above the locally determined benchmark percentile on multiple measures administered.

Annually indicators of student performance are reviewed for identification. Other considerations to inform placement include interests, behavior, exceptionalities, English language proficiency.

Middle School

Identification for the placement of high-ability students in grade 6 middle school courses and a course of study into and through high school follows the process below.

A universal cognitive screener is administered of all students in grade 5 (InView).
All students in grades K-8 are administered an adaptive achievement assessment with local and national norm-referenced results
Students entering grade 6 who were in the high ability program in elementary school continue middle school high ability programming course of study. In addition these students transitioning to middle school high ability programming the screening of additional students in grade 5 occurs in the 3 phased described.

Phase 1 A potential group of students to receive additional testing for placement into the high-ability program are identified by reviewing achievement on ILEARN, cognitive reasoning abilities on InView (grade 5), and teacher observation.
Phase 2 The group of students identified in Phase 1 are administered the CogAT cognitive abilities test 1-year beyond their current grade level.
Phase 3 High Ability Program Placement notification is received by parents of students who perform at or above the locally determined benchmark percentile on multiple measures administered.
Annually indicators of student performance are reviewed for identification. Other considerations to inform placement include interests, behavior, exceptionalities, English language proficiency.

High School

Based on student success in high ability middle school courses the course of study continues into High School Honors or AP courses.

Additionally, students are recommended for High School Honors and AP courses using results of standardized test scores and teacher recommendations. Placement in high ability courses for English, math, social studies, and science are determined by reviewing results on at least two standardized tests and comparing the results to student performance in the Honors or AP courses. Standardized test data includes components of PSAT 8, PSAT 9, PSAT, NMSQT, End-of-Course Assessments in English and Math, and Advanced Placement end-of-course tests. College and career pathway can determine placement.

Problem-solving Process

In the event a student faces performance or social emotional challenges a Problem-Solving Team, consisting ofclassroom teacher, department head (if applicable), high-ability teacher, principal or designee, parents, and studentwill convene to make an informed decision for the good of the student.

In order to make an informed decision, the following information will be collected.

Original placement data
Homework completion, test and quiz scores from the affected class
Classroom participation and behavior data
Performance in other classes
Parent and student conference(s) or other contacts
Current classroom interventions
Other information i.e. significant life changing experience

Possible solutions include additional interventions, promotion or discontinuation from the placement.

Options for Acceleration

Many factors enter into deciding the best method of acceleration, or whether to accelerate at all. Students and parents must work together to consider the student's ability levels in all subject areas, social and emotional readiness, and willingness to accelerate.

1. Early entrance to kindergarten: The student is admitted to school prior to the age customarily specified by the district for entry into 1st grade.

2. Grade skipping: The student moves ahead of normal grade placement. This may be done during an academic year (e.g., a 3rd grader goes directly into 4th grade; skips the last two years of high school to enter college), or at year end (e.g., a 3rd grader is promoted to 5th grade).

3. Continuous progress: The student is given material deemed appropriate for current achievement as the student becomes ready.

4. Curriculum compacting: The student is given reduced amounts of introductory activities, drill, and review. The time saved may be used to move more quickly through the curriculum.

5. Mentorships: The student is exposed to a mentor who provides advanced training, experiences, and pacing in a content area.

6. Early graduation: The student graduates from high school or college in 3 1⁄2 years or less.

7. Advanced placement: The student takes a course in high school in preparation for an examination that may confer college credit for satisfactory performance.

District

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