FWPS Highly Capable Program Screening Process The table below outlines the district’s plan for screening K-5 students for the 2014-2015 school year. Currently, the district, not the building, identifies students using results from the assessments given below. You will see that HCP uses the F&P K-2 for reading. It is critical that the assessment levels are taken to the Instructional Reading level. KMA will be used for Kindergarten, and again it is critical that the assessment levels are taken to the Instructional Math level. STAR will be used grades 3-5 in reading and grades 1-5 in math. Grade Reading Assessment General Note: Students reading at a level J or higher can be given the STAR assessment. F&P to the Instructional Level KMA (Kindergarten Math Assessment) to the Students reading at a level J or higher can highest level of proficiency be given the STAR reading assessment Student who receives all 4s on a KMA can be given the STAR math assessment F&P to the Instructional Level STAR Students reading at a level M or higher can be given the STAR reading assessment F&P to the Instructional Level STAR Students reading at a level P or higher can be given the STAR reading assessment STAR STAR K 1 2 3-5 Math Assessment The district plan is to first identify any student who is 2 standard deviations above the mean. The district will then do an additional undetermined assessment. This assessment will be administered by district personnel within each school building. Students who are 2 standard deviations above the mean in one area may be identified as “HCP Other Services.” This means that services may be provided in the General Education classroom by a teacher who receives HCP support & training. 4-5: All of Meredith Hill’s incoming students in grades 4 & 5 identified in the self-contained classroom last spring were automatically placed in our 3-5 HCP self-contained classroom for this school year. Any new incoming 3rd grade students that qualified were placed upon arrival. Any 3-5 graders classified as “HCP Other Services” will receive services within the General Education classroom by teachers who differentiate to meet student needs. In this case, the teacher will receive support & training from the HCP program. K-3: Any student identified as “HCP Other Services” will receive services within the General Education classroom by teachers who differentiate to meet student needs. In this case, the teacher will receive support & training from the HCP program. The Kindergarten HCP nomination window is currently open. It closes November 30th. This is when applications are due. Parents can turn applications into the building or to the district office by this date. The application is available on the district website at http://www.fwps.org/academics/highlycapable/. What Does a Highly Capable student look like? A highly capable student thinks outside the box Thinks about problems differently Has an insatiable curiosity Sometimes acts out - but not all kids that act out are Highly Capable Can have leadership qualities Sometimes that child that you just know is different from his/her peers. (I am trying to describe a student you have experienced 4 or 5 times in your whole career) How Many students are we Estimating we will Identify? We presently have ten 1st grade students in the whole district identified Highly Capable. We are consciously not going to over identify Kindergarten students into the Highly Capable Program. Once a student is identified into the Highly Capable Program they are in it for life How are we Selecting Students for the Highly Capable Program? There will be a number of data points. September and January District tests Teacher observation, informal assessments, and nomination Parent nomination. The District Assessment Team will look at the preponderance of formal and informal assessments and determine qualification to the Highly Capable Program School Assessment Teams will review student qualification and determine placement. How Will Parents Be Notified of Placement? The District Team will notify the Building Principal of assessment outcomes The Principal will send a letter to the parent notifying the parent of their child's placement Characteristics of Highly Capable Children “Bright Child vs. Highly Capable Learner” Observing Highly Capable characteristics is often difficult when we are dealing with obviously bright children. The chart below is helpful in seeing the subtle differences between the bright child and the highly capable learner. Bright Child Knows the answers Highly Capable Learner Ask the questions Is interested Is highly curious Is attentive Is mentally and physically involved Answers the questions Discusses in detail, elaborates Top group Beyond the group Listens with interest Shows strong feelings and opinions Learns with ease Already knows 6-8 repetitions for mastery 1-2 repetitions for mastery Understands ideas Constructs abstractions Enjoys peers Prefers adults Grasps the meaning Draws inferences Is receptive Is intense Copies accurately Creates a new design Enjoys school Enjoys learning Absorbs information Manipulates information Technician Inventor Good memorizer Good guesser Enjoys straightforward, sequential presentation Thrives on observant Is alert Is keenly observant Is pleased with own learning Is highly self-critical In addition, this information can continue to shed light on what the characteristics and traits of Gifted Learners can sometimes look like. The gifted student But… The gifted student But… Retains information easily and memorization The gifted student But… areas of interest allenge The gifted student But… -motivated The gifted student But… synthesis, evaluation) details solving The gifted student But… problems perfect as well The gifted student But… The gifted student But… peers situations