MIDDLE SCHOOL ACCELERATION RECOMMENDATIONS
The process of selecting students for the English Language Arts/Social Studies Acceleration Program is as follows:
A letter explaining the English Language Arts/Social Studies Acceleration Program is sent home to all parents/guardians of 6th-grade students with second quarter interim reports. Parents/guardians that wish to have their child evaluated for the program are asked to reply back to the gr. 6-8 English language arts and social studies academic administrators before the end of the second quarter.
A list of students that have been requested for evaluation is sent to 6th-grade English language arts and social studies teachers. These teachers have the opportunity to add students they feel would be worthy candidates for the program, but did not end up being requested for evaluation by their parents/guardians, to this list before the evaluation process takes place.
Students are evaluated on three categories, each carrying the same weight: teacher rating, standardized test scores, and first semester grades in English language arts, social studies, and reading/Socratic forum.
The benchmark/cutpoint for the selection of students for the program is revised annually based on the performance of the current English Language Arts/Social Studies 7/8 Acceleration Program student population. Students that meet or exceed the benchmark/cutpoint for program qualification are eligible to enroll.
Correspondence is sent home to parents/guardians of students that qualify for the Program and to parents/guardians that requested for their children to be evaluated for the Program and did not qualify by the end of February.
The process of selecting students for the Science Acceleration Program for students in grade 8 is as follows:
A grid is filled out by the 7th-grade teachers that looks at overall grades in math, English, science and social studies. All subject grades should be at or above 93 in the first two semesters.
We look at interest in science, lab work, test scores on various tests, organization, being on time with all work and they have to be in accelerated math classes and other parameters.
We look at past records in their folders, and discuss with guidance counselors.
We bring the students and parents or guardians of the ones that are recommended in for a general information meeting in which we explain the program. From there the students with their parents decide whether they want to be accelerated or not in science.
We don't have acceleration or honors in the 6th or 7th grade.
The process of selecting students for the Math Acceleration Program for students in grade 8 is as follows:
Math students generally have two opportunities to accelerate at the middle schools; as they come into 6th grade or as they enter 8th grade. All students in high ability 5th-grade math groups are given the TOMAGS (Test of Mathematical Abilities for Gifted Students). Their score on this, the level they performed at on the 4th-grade NYS assessment, and teacher input is considered when recommending them for 6th-grade acceleration. Parents are then notified of the recommendation. Parents of students who qualify are invited to a meeting to learn more about the program and then decide if they want their child to participate.
Seventh grade teachers make accelerated recommendations for the following year based on a department-created rubric that considers a students' class performance (their quarterly averages), work habits, participation, NYS assessment data, and basic/conceptual math knowledge.
Parents of students who are recommended for accelerated math are invited to a meeting to learn more about the program before making a decision to include their child in the program(s).