Elementary School Curriculum

1. What services are available for gifted students in the Greenwich Public Schools?
2. What is the curriculum?
3. How much time do the students spend in the program?
4. How are the ALP classes scheduled?
5. Will my child be graded?
6. How does my child become eligible for the ALP program?
7. Does my child have to be tested each year to stay in the program?
8. What are the exit criteria and procedures?
9. How do I withdraw my child from the program?
10. What parent communications can be expected?
11. What should I do to assist my child?
12. How can I get involved in the program?
13. If I have additional questions, to whom do I refer them?
14. What is the ALP program’s philosophy?

1. What services are available for gifted students in the Greenwich Public Schools?

The program for gifted students at the elementary level has an academic focus emphasizing language arts and mathematics. Language arts is the primary focus of the middle school seminar program.

Grade 2
In grade two there is an accelerated approach to challenging gifted students in the areas of math and language arts. Students may be identified for one or both of the strands.

Grades 3-5
The Advanced Learning Programs program (ALP) consists of three strands: language arts, math and interdisciplinary. Students may be identified for one or more of the strands.

Grades 6-8
Seminar, the middle school program for academically gifted students is an interdisciplinary study of a theme specific for each grade level.

2. What is the curriculum?

Grade 2
The program focuses on developing critical thinking skills in math and language arts.

Grade 3-5
The rigorous language arts curriculum was developed by the College of William and Mary’s Center for Gifted Education. "Change" is the guiding theme of the advanced language arts curriculum. Students study reading, writing, listening and speaking as change processes. The open-ended approach to discussion emphasizes the search for meaning in literature while enhancing grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and textual analysis skills. The literature studied embraces multiple genres: short stories, poetry, essays, autobiographies, novels and non-fiction.

In math high ability students participate in an advanced math program. The goals of the program are aligned with the following goals of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics: developing the creative process by including problem finding and problem solving; developing the ability to communicate mathematically; appreciating the role of mathematics in other core subjects; applying mathematics to real world problems; appreciating the historical development of some mathematical principles; and, understanding the importance of math as it relates to career options.

The mathematics textbook is used as a support to provide reinforcement of basic skills and concepts. Beyond the text, challenges of a higher level of sophistication, abstraction, and critical thinking are presented.

3. How much time do the students spend in the program?

Grade 2
In the grade two program the ALP teacher meets with students for 2 hours per week per strand.

Grades 3-5
In the grade three through five program, the math and language arts classes meet every day for one hour. These classes take the place of a student’s regularly scheduled math or language arts class. The interdisciplinary classes meet for ninety minutes weekly.

Grades 6-8
The Seminar Program meets on a pattern basis for half the year in grades six and eight, and for the full year in grade seven. Students selected for the Seminar Program must have strong writing skills as Seminar students do not participate in a Language Arts Workshop class (LAW).

5. How are the ALP classes scheduled?

Grade 2
The ALP language arts and math classes are scheduled during the regular classroom language arts and math times.

Grades 3-5
The ALP language arts and math classes are scheduled during the regular classroom language arts and math times. A student does not therefore miss a regularly scheduled class. The interdisciplinary class which meets for ninety minutes per week takes place when the schedule permits. Students must miss a regularly scheduled class to participate in the interdisciplinary strand. Students are responsible to find out what work the classroom teacher requires him/her to complete when they are absent from class.

Grade 6-8
Seminar classes meet during the Language Arts Workshop (LAW) period. These classes meet forty-four times in grades six and eight and ninety times in grade seven.

6. Will my child be graded?

Grade 2
Input is given by the ALP teacher, but no separate report card grade is given for participation in the program.

Grades 3-5
Report card grades in reading are assigned by the ALP teacher. The writing grade will be assigned by the classroom and the ALP teacher. The ALP teacher’s initials on the report card indicate it is a combined grade.

In math the report card grade is assigned by the ALP teacher. Because the conclusion of the interdisciplinary strand does not coincide with the issuing of report cards, students receive a written ALP assessment at the end of each unit of study. For the final report card of the year, however, a final grade for the interdisciplinary strand is given on the report card.

Grades 6-8
Seminar students receive a report card grade.

7. How does my child become eligible for the ALP program?

At all grade levels there is a two step identification protocol. The first step is a screening process that assesses the strengths of a large group of students using both teacher and parent input, performance based assessment and grade level Stanford Achievement tests (SAT’s). In assessing students for the program, consideration is given to their exceptional ability, rapid learning rate, capacity to deal with complexities and abstract ideas, achievement well beyond grade level, motivation to increase depth of knowledge, and willingness to take on a substantial amount of additional homework. The second step is the evaluation and placement process which includes out-of-level standardized testing and a placement decision based on a review of all the information. The holistic review and the decisions are made by the Building Advisory Committee (BAC) in collaboration with the program coordinator. The Committee consists of classroom teachers, the ALP teachers and other appropriate personnel. Students being tested for the program must have written parental permission. Parents are notified of the decision of the BAC in writing by the Program Coordinator.

8. Does my child have to be tested each year to stay in the program?

Grade 2
At the end of grade 2 students will be re-evaluated for participation in the grade 3-5 program.

Grades 3-5
Students are not re-tested each year but superior performance is required for continued enrollment. If students are not meeting expectations, exit procedures will be followed. At the end of fifth grade, students are re-evaluated for admission to the Seminar program and the ALP English program.

Grades 6-8
Students are not tested each year but superior performance is required for continued enrollment. If students are not meeting expectations exit procedures will be followed.

9. What are the exit criteria and procedures?

Exit Criteria
Every attempt will be made to make the program a challenging and rewarding experience for every child. However, there are times when the grade level team, with the approval of the principal, will determine that a student’s performance or behavior requires that he/she be exited from the program. Students will become ineligible for the program for the following reasons:

• Not maintaining satisfactory grades in their academic subjects.
• Consistently not doing ALP/Seminar homework assignments or coming unprepared for ALP/Seminar class.
• Behaving in such a way as to interfere with the learning of others in the ALP/Seminar classroom.

Exit Procedures
To insure that there has been sufficient communication with the parents and to enlist their cooperation in bringing about an improvement in their child’s performance or behavior, the following steps will be required before a child can be removed from the program.

1. Parents will be notified in writing if any of the following behaviors are exhibited by their child:
   • Fails to keep up with regular classroom assignments;>
   • Fails to hand in Seminar homework assignments;
   • Comes unprepared for Seminar class;
   • Interferes with the learning of other Seminar students.
2. If the student’s performance or behavior does not improve after the written parent notification, a parent conference will be held in an attempt to develop a plan to assist the child in modifying his/her behavior and/or performance.
3. If the parent notification and conference fail to improve the student’s behavior and/or performance, the Building Advisory Committee will determine if the student should be exited from the program. The committee’s decisions will be reviewed by the principal. The parents will receive written notification if the child is to be exited from the program.

Exited students will not be eligible for consideration for readmittance to the program for the remainder of the year . The Building Advisory Committee together with the principal will determine if a child should be readmitted to the program.

10. How do I withdraw my child from the program?

Parents must notify the ALP/Seminar Teacher in writing that they wish to withdraw their child from the program. The ALP/Seminar teacher will then notify the classroom teacher(s) and the principal.

11. What parent communications can be expected?

Grade 2

• When a child is accepted into the program parents receive written notification and a description of the program.
• At the beginning of each school year teachers in the ALP program explain the program to the parents at open house.
• Each school also hosts a coffee or evening meeting the purpose of which is to explain the program curriculum and student expectations in greater depth.

Grades 3-5

• When a child is accepted in to the program parents receive a written description of the program.
• At the beginning of each school year teachers in the ALP program explain the program to the parents at open house.
• Each school also hosts a coffee or evening meeting the purpose of which is to explain the program curriculum and student expectations in greater depth.
• At the beginning of each unit parents receive a letter describing the language arts or interdisciplinary unit to be taught.
• The ALP teacher meets with the parent of every students at least once a year.every during conference days or during some other mutually agreed on time.

Grades 6-8

• When a child is accepted in to the program parents receive written notification and a description of the program.
• At the beginning of each school year teachers in the Seminar Program explain the program to the parents at open house.
• Each school also hosts a coffee or evening meeting the purpose of which is to explain the program curriculum and student expectations in greater depth.

Townwide parent meetings provide opportunities to share information on the latest developments in the program and to answer questions. Family science nights, student presentations and talks by experts in the area of gifted education also take place during these meetings.

12. What should I do to assist my child?

Provide the same encouragement that you do for all new experiences. Help your child get organized: set up desk, a drawer with files and plenty of supplies. It is very important to provide a quiet place and sufficient time for homework to be completed. There should be time for your child to pursue a particular topic of interest in depth and to go beyond the minimum homework assignments.

13. How can I get involved in the program?

Become a ALP building or grade level representative for the PTA/ALP committee. Attend the ALP sponsored meetings, volunteer to assist with ALP special events or with the ALP Newsletter or with the Minds in Motion committee.

14. If I have additional questions, to whom do I refer them?

Call your child’s ALP Teacher, Principal or Assistant Principal, or the Program Coordinator at 203-625-7422. 

15. What is the ALP program’s philosophy?

All children have the right to an education commensurate with their ability to learn and should be challenged to their highest potential. Gifted children need differentiated programs and services to reach this goal.

It is recognized that high ability children come from all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds and have diverse abilities and interests. The curricula are diverse, advanced and complex, providing opportunities for growth in intellectual, creative, socio-emotional and aesthetic domains. Appropriate educational opportunities take the form of challenging content, provisions for in-depth study as well as opportunities to accommodate diverse interests.

Emphasis is on encouraging students to do their best work and to develop intellectual and scholarly skills and attitudes. The school works closely with the home to encourage gifted students to become productively engaged in the learning enterprise.

Write to alp@greenwich.k12.ct.us
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Greenwich Public Schools Advanced Learning Programs
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