Advanced Studies
The purpose of Advanced Studies in Greenwich Public Schools is to provide appropriate learning experiences and intellectual challenge that result in continuous academic growth.
Contact Us
Informational Meetings
- Cognitive Abilities Test Interpretation
- Grade 2 Fall ALP Placement Process
- Grade 2 Fall ALP Evaluation Scores and Placement
- Elementary ALP Placement Process
- ELEMENTARY ALP SCORES AND PLACEMENT
- Middle School Advanced Studies
- Middle School ALP Language Arts Placement Process
- MIDDLE SCHOOL ALP LANGUAGE ARTS EVALUATION SCORES AND PLACEMENT
- Getting the Most from Parent-Teacher Conferences for Your Bright Child
Cognitive Abilities Test Interpretation
Grade 2 Fall ALP Placement Process
Grade 2 Fall ALP Evaluation Scores and Placement
Informational Meetings:
December 13, 2017 Cos Cob Library 9:30 am
December 13, 2017 Board of Education Staff Development Room 7:00 pm
2016 Presentation:
Fall 2016 Grade School Advanced Learning Program Evaluation Scores and Placement
Elementary ALP Placement Process
ELEMENTARY ALP SCORES AND PLACEMENT
Middle School Advanced Studies
Informational Meetings:
December 4, 2017 Greenwich Town Hall 9:00 am
December 4, 2017 Greenwich Town Hall 6:30 pm
(snowdate December 11, 2017)
2017 Presentation:
Math Placement Guidelines Grade 5 to 6
To support learner readiness for Middle School Mathematics, access the course specific playlist below. Format allows for self-regulated pace and learner choice.
Science Placement Guidelines Grade 5 to 6
Science Placement Guidelines Grade 6 to 7
Science Placement Guidelines Grade 7 to 8
Middle School ALP Language Arts Placement Process
MIDDLE SCHOOL ALP LANGUAGE ARTS EVALUATION SCORES AND PLACEMENT
Informational Meetings:
March 13, 2018 Cos Cob Library 9:30 am
March 13, 2018 Board of Education Staff Development Room 7:00 pm
2018 Presentation:
Middle School LA Score Interpretation
Getting the Most from Parent-Teacher Conferences for Your Bright Child
Presented by
Katie Augustyn,
National Advocate for Gifted and High Ability Students
Wednesday, December 6
7:00 pm
Greenwich Board of Education Staff Development Room
290 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830
Characteristics of Gifted Children
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.
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 Referral, Evaluation, and Placement.
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. Referrals may be initiated by teachers, parents, or others who may have knowledge of students’ learning needs.
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)
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.
For more information about the Placement Process refer to the Placement Procedures Handbook
Grade 2 Students
The Advanced Learning Program (ALP) begins in all Greenwich Public Schools during grade 2. ALP offers advanced curriculum, alternative methods of teaching, and student challenges in the areas of math, language arts, and interdisciplinary science. Interdisciplinary science begins in grade 3.
Key Dates
| October 27, 2017 | Letters sent to parents of grade 2 students who have been referred for ALP evaluation. | |
| October 30 and November 1, 2017 | Information Meetings held about Placement Process Oct 30 9:30 am Byram Library (Spanish translator available) Oct 30 7:00 pm Board of Education Nov 1 9:30 am Cos Cob Library | |
| November 10, 2017 | Deadline for parents to submit referral form to have their child evaluated for grade 2 ALP Reading and/or Math | |
| November 13-22, 2017 | Evaluations completed (schedule varies by elementary school) | |
| December 8, 2017 | Letters with evaluation scores and placement recommendations sent to parents | |
| December 13, 2017 | Information Meetings held about evaluation scores and placement 9:30 am Cos Cob Library 7:00 pm Board of Education | |
| December 22, 2017 | Deadline for parents to submit appeal form | |
| January 17, 2018 | Letters with appeal decisions sent to parents | |
| Spring Evaluation | ||
| February 9, 2018 | Letters sent to parents of grade 2 students who have been referred for ALP evaluation for grade 3 ALP Reading, Math and/or Science | |
| February 20, 22 and 23, 2018 | Information Meetings held about Placement Process Feb 20 7:00 pm Board of Education Feb 22 9:30 am Cos Cob Library | |
| March 2, 2018 | Deadline for parents to submit referral form to have their child evaluated for grade 3 ALP Reading, Math and/or Science | |
| March 6-30, 2018 | Evaluations completed (schedule varies by elementary school) | |
| May 4, 2018 | Letters with evaluation scores and placement recommendations sent to parents | |
| May 8, 2018 | Information Meetings held about evaluation scores and placement 9:30 am Board of Education | |
| May 18, 2018 | Deadline for parents to submit appeal form | |
| June 12, 2018 | Letters with appeal decisions sent to parents |
Frequently Asked Questions about Grade 2 Placement
Grade 5, 6, 7 Students
Key Dates
| December 4, 2017 | Information Meetings held about Advanced Studies at the Middle School | |
| January 5, 2018 | Letters sent to parents of grade 5, 6 and 7 students who have been referred for ALP evaluation for 2018-2019 ALP Language Arts | |
| January 9 and 11, 2018 | Information Meetings held about Middle School Placement Process Jan 19 7:00 pm Board of Education Jan 11 9:30 am Cos Cob Library | |
| January 19, 2018 | Deadline for parents to submit referral form to have their child evaluated for Middle School ALP Language Arts | |
| January 22- February 2, 2018 | Evaluations completed (schedule varies by school) | |
| March 9, 2018 | Letters with evaluation scores and placement recommendations sent to parents | |
| March 13, 2018 | Information Meetings held about evaluation scores and placement March 13 9:30 am Cos Cob Library March 13 7:00 pm Board of Education | |
| March 23, 2018 | Deadline for parents to submit appeal form | |
| May 4, 2018 | Letters with appeal decisions sent to parents |
Grade 3 and 4 Students
Key Dates
|
New Students
Welcome. The Greenwich Public Schools embraces a child-centered approach to education – an approach that is designed to meet the needs of each child by asking, “What is best for this child?” Educators work to that end by offering differentiated instruction to all children that includes high expectations with the appropriate level of challenge.
The Advanced Learning Program (ALP) seeks to identify students who excel two grade levels above their current grade, demonstrate a strong motivation and love for learning, as well as perseverance when faced with challenging assignments.
Parents of students entering grades three through eight who choose to have their child participate in testing for placement in ALP Language Arts, Math or Science classes should complete the form at https://goo.gl/forms/RNM6hhHD74fpo3Z83 by Thursday, August 16, 2018. All students need to be pre-registered for the testing which will take place August 20 and 21, 2018.
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, a parent should submit the relevant documentation to the district ALP office.
If parents choose NOT to have their child tested, the next time they have an opportunity to nominate their child for ALP evaluation will be in the spring of 2019 for placement in the fall of 2019.
Sincerely,
Bonnie O’Regan
Forms
Middle School Appeal Form
(for students currently in grades 5, 6 or 7)
Appeals for grade 6 are due by April 23, 2018
Appeals for grade 7 LA and grade 8 LA are due by April 23, 2018
Appeals for grade 7 Science and grade 8 Science are due by May 18, 2018
Elementary School Appeal Form
(for students currently in grades 2, 3 or 4)
Appeals are due by May 18, 2018
Curriculum
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.
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.
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.
Science
Science is a way of knowing, a process for gaining knowledge and understanding of the natural world. The Advanced Learning Program Science curriculum employs a problem-based learning format in order to encourage students to develop scientific habits of mind while actively involved in acquiring significant science content through solving a “real world” problem. This format requires the students to engage in the scientific process, from the problem-finding and information-gathering steps, to the evaluation of the experimental data, and the solution or recasting of the problem.
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.
Parent Resources
District PTAC Representatives
Rosemary Hyson
Marla Sernick
Contact at ptacalp@gmail.com
Connecticut Association for the Gifted
National Association for Gifted Children
Hoagies' Gifted Education Page