Advanced Learning Program
The purpose of Advanced Studies in Greenwich Public Schools is to provide appropriate learning experiences and intellectual challenge that result in continuous academic growth.
Meet our Advanced Learning Leadership Team
Contact us all: AdvancedLearning@greenwich.k12.ct.us
The Advanced Learning Program has started evaluating grade 2, 3 and 4 students for ALP Reading, Math and Science placement for the 2023-2024 school year. Identified students will meet daily in the ALP classroom in lieu of general education classrooms to receive their instruction in Reading, Math and/or Science.
Parent input is a valuable component of the placement process. In order to refer your student for evaluation to Reading, Math, and/or Science ALP program classes and provide the committee with your insights, please complete the google form found at Parent Referral Form
This form must be completed by Friday, March 17.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Students who are currently enrolled in elementary ALP Reading, Math and Science classes do not need to be evaluated to continue in ALP Reading, Math and Science for the 2023-2024 school year.
More Information Available for Parents:
Please review the presentation: Elementary ALP Placement Process Video (slides and transcript Spanish slides and transcript). If you still have questions after the video, join the ALP Leadership Team for a Q&A sessions about the Elementary ALP Placement process on Tuesday, March 7.
Check out our quarterly newsletter for updates: All About ALP
All About ALP Placement
The purpose of the Placement Process is not to determine if a student is “gifted” or “not gifted.” Rather, the purpose of the placement process is to identify specific academic student needs and match learners with appropriate supplementary services. This three step process includes Tiered Referral, Evaluation, and Placement.
- Referral
- Evaluation and Body of Evidence
- Placement and Review Team
- Grade by Grade Timelines
- Questions
Referral
Step 1: The Referral Phase begins with screening. Screening is the process of reviewing current grade level data about each child to determine if a student should be referred for further assessment for possible placement in the Advanced Learning Program. The screening process includes: a review of current performance data, grade level standardized tests, and observational data using checklists based on gifted characteristics. Referrals (sometimes called Nominations) is the direct procedure that enters a student into the Evaluation Phase. In addition to referrals initiated by teachers, parents are able to provide input as well.
The Advanced Learning Program has started evaluating grade 2, 3 and 4 students for ALP Reading, Math and Science placement for the 2023-2024 school year. Identified students will meet daily in the ALP classroom in lieu of general education classrooms to receive their instruction in Reading, Math and/or Science.
Parent input is a valuable component of the placement process. In order to refer your student for evaluation to Reading, Math, and/or Science ALP program classes and provide the committee with your insights, please complete the google form found at Parent Referral Form
This form must be completed by Friday, March 17.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Students who are currently enrolled in elementary ALP Reading, Math and Science classes do not need to be evaluated to continue in ALP Reading, Math and Science for the 2023-2024 school year.
Evaluation and Body of Evidence
Step 2: In the Evaluation Phase GPS uses a multifaceted placement scheme to identify not only students who are already high achieving in the domain but also those with potential but underdeveloped achievement.
Multifaceted placement scheme includes:
Age Normed measures of aptitude for reasoning in each of the domains for which services will be provided (for example, verbal reasoning scores considered for placement into language arts services and quantitative reasoning scores for placement into mathematics). (Cognitive Ability Tests)
Grade Normed measures of achievement in each domain for which advanced services will be provided. (Achievement Assessments).
Criterion Normed measures that add descriptive information about students’ performance or potential in the domains for which services are provided. (Performance Tasks)
Placement and Review Team
Step 3: In the Placement Phase the Building Advisory Committee (BAC), consisting of the ALP teacher(s), classroom teachers, a building administrator, and the ALP facilitator, conducts a comprehensive review of each child’s record and performance during the evaluation in order to make final placement decisions. All selection decisions reflect the best professional judgment of the committee to determine the best way to meet each child’s individual needs.
Grade by Grade Timelines
Questions
Appeals:
Parents have two weeks from notification of a placement to request a change. Parents must provide additional information that was not presented in the student score report or at the building advisory commit
PLACEMENT:
Math placement questions contact Mike Reid at mike_reid@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Science placement questions contact Tara Fogel at tara_fogel@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Language Arts/Humanities placement questions contact Kim Paladino at kimberly_paladino@greenwich.k12.ct.us
ASSESSMENTS AND SCORES:
For questions regarding assessments, scoring or your child's score report contact Bonnie O'Regan at bonnie_regan@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Curriculum
Overview
The Advanced Learning Program enriches and augments the regular curriculum in order to meet the educational needs of advanced students. Differentiation of instruction occurs routinely in the regular classroom, along with opportunities for pullout for identified students.
The Advanced Learning Program uses content replacement programming model for identified students in grade 3-5 language arts and math and a content enrichment programming model in grade 2 language arts and math and grade 3-5 science.
All levels of the program share the following overarching objectives:
- Provide for cognitive development in core curriculum areas at an appropriate pace and depth.
- Develop self-understanding that encourages and fosters independent and self-directed learning.
- Develop intellectual and scholarly skills and attitude.
- Promote critical, creative and divergent thinking skills.
- Develop research skills and methods.
- Foster intellectual inquiry at all levels.
- Develop aesthetic knowledge, skills and appreciation.
Math
Mathematics
Advanced students require a mathematics curriculum that not only challenges their current abilities but also pushes them into new realms of understanding. This type of differentiation is best provided through an acceleration model that allows students to demonstrate mastery of grade level standards and move through the curriculum receiving instruction at their challenge levels. The math curriculum is enriched and generally accelerated by one year. In addition to demonstrating mastery of standards, students are provided with rich problems that require the use of analytical reasoning.
Reading, and Writing
Language Arts
Language is not just the expression; it is the essence of understanding. The curriculum framework used is the Integrated Curriculum Model designed for gifted learners by Dr. Joyce Vantassel-Baska and the College of William and Mary. This model is organized for the integration of Big Ideas, Advanced Content, and Differentiated Process & Product. The use of this model allows students to extend their understanding of language beyond the literal and inferential into the realm of evaluative analysis. The goals of the Language Arts units are to develop students' skills in literary analysis and interpretation, persuasive writing, linguistic competency, and oral communication, as well as to strengthen students' reasoning skills and understanding of the concept of change. The units engage students in exploring carefully selected, challenging works of literature from various times, cultures, and genres and they encourage students to reflect on their readings through writing and discussion.
Middle School Seminar
Middle School Seminar
The seminar program is a continuum that allows reasoning models and approaches to problem solving to be revisited, practiced and refined over a three-year period. Seminar students frame their own questions, engage in research, analyze and discuss ideas, and apply what they have learned to social problems. The overarching theme for all three grades is “What does it mean to be human?”In sixth grade the focus is on evolutionary change, seventh grade on the concept of systems, and in eighth grade on public health systems.
Middle School Advanced Science
Middle School Advanced Science
Overview
At the end of grade 5, teacher recommendation based on qualitative and quantitative data is used for placement into the Advanced Science Pathway for grade six. This is based on a standardized rubric of teacher “look-fors” for placement in the 2022-2023 school year. The rubric includes teacher assessment of student skills as evidenced by grade 5 science performance tasks, student science notebooks, and the ability to achieve within grade level end-band markers of the eight science and engineering practices.
Placement into the Advanced Science Pathway in grades 7 and 8 is based on student academic achievement on previous pathways, historical NGSS scores, and performance on short performance assessments completed throughout the curriculum. Administrative input, cumulative grade averages, teacher recommendations, school counselors’ recommendations, and parent recommendations are also considered.
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Parent Resources
- 2022-2023 Parent Referral and Input
- 2022-2023 Grade 2 Enrichment: Referral and Placement
- 2021-2022 Grades 2, 3 and 4: Referral and Placement
- 2021-2022 Grade 5: Referral and Placement for Middle School
- ALP 10/21 BOE Presentation
- Informational Slide Decks
- PTAC Members
- ALP Smores
- Additional Information
2022-2023 Parent Referral and Input
Parent input is a valuable component of the placement process. If you believe that your child should undergo the additional rigorous above grade level assessment(s) for potential placement in ALP Reading, Math and/or Science. Each assessment ranges from 45-75 minutes.
If you wish to have your child take the additional tests, complete the Parent Referral and Input Form between March 3 and 17th, 2023
2022-2023 Grade 2 Enrichment: Referral and Placement
Grade 2 ALP Placement Information
Please review the presentation about Grade 2 ALP Placement Video (slides only, spanish version). If you still have questions after the video, join the ALP Leadership Team for a Q&A sessions about the Grade 2 Placement process on Tuesday, November 15.
- Session 1: 9:30 AM recording of session 1
-
Session 2: 7:00 PM recording of session 2
Spanish Translation was offered during Session 2
Grade 2 ALP Score Information
Please review the 10-minute Grade 2 ALP Placement Information Video (English transcript Spanish transcript) If you still have questions after the video, join the ALP Leadership Team for a Q&A sessions about the Grade 2 Placement process on Thursday, January 5.
-
Session 1: 9:30 AM recording of session 1
-
Session 2: 7:00 PM recording of session 2
Spanish Translations was offered during Session 2
2021-2022 Grades 2, 3 and 4: Referral and Placement
The Advanced Learning Program has started evaluating students for ALP Reading, Math and Science placement for the 2022-2023 school year. The Advanced Learning Program uses a content replacement and acceleration programming model for students who give evidence of significantly high-performance capability. For the 2022-2023 school year, identified students will meet daily in the ALP classroom in lieu of general education classrooms to receive their instruction in Reading, Math and/or Science.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Students who are currently enrolled in elementary ALP Humanities or STEM classes do not need to be evaluated to continue in ALP Reading or Math for the 2022-2023 school year. Students currently enrolled in ALP STEM will also be automatically placed into both ALP Math and ALP Science for the 2022-2023 school year
Bonnie O’Regan, Advanced Learning Program Facilitator, and the Advanced Learning Leadership Team, hosted zoom webinars about the ALP placement process on March 9 and 10, and two more sessions on the Assessment Score Results on June 13 and 14. The videos and slide presentations are linked below.
The ALP Leadership team is happy to answer any questions you have that were not addressed during the webinars. To facilitate a timely response to your questions please complete the following inquiry form https://forms.gle/jSLPw7M1BJWznNAW6. All inquiries concerning ALP placements made by June 24 will be addressed within one school day of receipt of the request. Requests made over the summer recess will be responded to on a case-by-case basis dependent on the staff available.
March 9 Placement Info Session
March 10 Placement Info Session
June 13 Score Presentation
June 14 Score Presentation
2021-2022 Grade 5: Referral and Placement for Middle School
Grade 5: Middle School Advanced Studies Information Sessions
Supporting the Grade 5 to 6 Transition
In early January, we held a virtual meeting to discuss the Fifth to Sixth Grade Transition Process. Middle School Counselors, Curriculum Coordinators, and Middle School Principals talked about what goes on in the spring and summer to help prepare students for the next school level. During this session, coordinators presented information regarding the placement process for Advanced Studies in Grades 6-8.
If you could not join us, we have videos of both presentations, including question and answer segments, linked below
- Monday, January 3 at 9:00 am Youtube Link
- Monday, January 3 at 6:30 pm Youtube Link
- Tuesday, January 18 at 6:00 pm Youtube Link - Spanish Version
Presentation Slide Deck: Grades 5 to 6 Transition 2022
Grade 5 to 6 ALP English Assessments
ALP 10/21 BOE Presentation
Informational Slide Decks
PTAC Members
ALP Smores
Additional Information
Greenwich Board of Education Policies related to the Advanced Learning Program
E001 Policy Programs Services Curriculum
E001.09 Purpose of Programs and Services
E001.13 Advanced Learning Programs K-12
Those requiring special accommodations to attend these meeting should contact Robyn Byron, either by phone at 203-625-7462, or by email at robyn_byron@greenwich.k12.ct.us or in person at the Havemeyer Building, 290 Greenwich Avenue, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting.
K-8 Students New to Greenwich
Welcome!
Elementary School
All new students to the district are screened using the STAR Reading and Math assessments in September. The information from the STAR assessments is analyzed at the district level and students are then students are invited to take the above level assessments for potential ALP placement.
Participation in a gifted program in another school district does not automatically qualify a student for placement in ALP courses in Greenwich. However, because another district’s placement process may give us enough information to make a placement decision, parents should submit the relevant documentation to the district ALP office.
Middle School
Greenwich offers multiple levels of English and Math courses at the middle school level. In order to appropriately schedule your child into advanced courses we would invite your child to take Reading and/or Math assessments. Math assessments are being given at the Board of Education Building on three days during July and August. The registration for the assessments will open in June.
Participation in a gifted program in another school district does not automatically qualify a student for placement in advanced courses in Greenwich. However, because another district’s placement process may give us enough information to make a placement decision, parents should submit the relevant documentation to the district ALP office via email at advancedlearning@greenwich.k12.ct.us