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.
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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 science.
Key Dates for 2019-2020
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Letters sent to parents of students who have been referred for ALP evaluation for ALP Reading Enrichment and/or Math Enrichment |
October 25 |
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Parent nomination window |
October 25- November 8 |
| Information Meetings held about Placement Process | October 30 |
| 9:30 am Byram Library | |
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7:00 pm Board of Education Building |
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Evaluation window |
November 12-22 |
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Letters with evaluation scores and placement recommendations sent to parents |
December 6 |
| Information Meetings held about evaluation scores and placement | December 12 |
| 9:30 am Cos Cob Library | |
| December 13 | |
| 7:00 pm Board of Education Building | |
| Parent appeal window |
December 6-20 |
| Letters with appeal decisions sent to parents |
January 17
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Grade 5, 6, 7 Students
Key Dates
| December 3, 2018 |
Information Meetings held about Advanced Studies at the Middle School
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| January 4, 2019 |
Letters sent to parents of grade 5, 6 and 7 students who have been referred for ALP evaluation for 2018-2019 ALP Language Arts
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| January 8, 2019 |
Information Meetings held about Middle School Placement Process 7:00 pm Board of Education 9:30 am Cos Cob Library |
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| January 18, 2019 |
Deadline for parents to submit referral form to have their child evaluated for Middle School ALP Language Arts
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| January 21- February 1, 2019 |
Evaluations completed (schedule varies by school)
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| March 8, 2019 |
Letters with evaluation scores and placement recommendations sent to parents
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March 12, 2019 March 15, 2019 |
Information Meetings held about evaluation scores and placement March 15: 9:30 am Byram Library March 12 7:00 pm Board of Education
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| March 22, 2019 |
Deadline for parents to submit appeal form
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| April 5, 2019 |
Letters with appeal decisions sent to parents
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Grade 3 and 4 Students
Key Dates
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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 or Advanced Language Arts, Math or Science classes should complete the form at https://forms.gle/kY1LaeTo5urfKbN97 by Thursday, July 11, 2019 for tests being taken on July 16, 2019 or by August 16, 2019 for tests being taken August 21 or 22, 2019. All students need to be pre-registered for the testing.
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 2020 for placement in the fall of 2020.
Sincerely,
Bonnie O’Regan
Forms
Parent Nomination for Grade 2 ALP Enrichment for 2019-2020 School Year
Form is due by November 8, 2019
https://forms.gle/JNdTkbo1fmqjZKBL6
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
Scott Griffith
Jenn Donat
Contact at ptacalp@gmail.com
Building PTA Representatives
| Central Middle School | Valerie Rimmer |
| Eastern Middle School | Karen Weissler |
| Western Middle School | Kathleen Yu |
| Colleen Sciulla | |
| Cos Cob | Katherine McKersie |
| Anne Bodkin | |
| Glenville | Colleen Sciulla |
| Melinda Chen | |
| Hamilton Ave | Michelle Lopez |
| ISD | Scott Griffith |
| Julian Curtiss | Jamie Cahill |
| New Leb | Heather Watson Hardie |
| North Mianus | Jennifer Donat |
| North Street | Mandy Casamassima |
| OG | Rosemary Hyson |
| Parkway | Lori Fields |
| Riverside | Laurel Fine |
National Association for Gifted Children
Connecticut Association for the Gifted
Hoagies' Gifted Education Page
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
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
Informational Meetings:
October 30, 2019 Byram Shubert Library 9:30 am
October 30, 2019 Board of Education Staff Development Room 7:00 pm
2019 Presentation:
Interpreting Cognitive Abilities Test Score Reports
Grade 2 Fall ALP Placement Process
Informational Meetings:
October 30, 2019 Byram Shubert Library 9:30 am
October 30, 2019 Board of Education Staff Development Room 7:00 pm
201 Presentation:
Grade 2 Advanced Learning Program Placement Procedures
Grade 2 Fall ALP Evaluation Scores and Placement
Elementary ALP Placement Process
ELEMENTARY ALP SCORES AND PLACEMENT
Middle School Advanced Studies
Informational Meetings:
December 3, 2018 Greenwich Town Hall 9:00 am
December 3, 2018 Greenwich Town Hall 6:30 pm
(snowdate December 12, 2018)
2018 Presentation:
2018-2019 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.
2018-2019 Science Placement Guidelines Grade 5 to 6
2018-2019 Science Placement Guidelines Grade 6 to 7
2018-2019 Science Placement Guidelines Grade 7 to 8
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
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.