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ExCEL Program Mr. Odell's ExCEL Information If you do not have the free Adobe Reader, click here. Click here for Grandpa's Checkerboard! Enrichment Opportunity
TESTING High Performance Testing (6th) Testing of
students for next year’s 7th grade HP classes (English, science,
social studies, math) will take place in January 2008. First trimester grades
are critical because they are a significant part of the of the identification
process. Acceptance in HP Math 7 also includes NWEA test results. More
information will be sent in early November to the parents/guardians of all 6th
grade students. SOI testing: Grades 3-5 Testing for
future ExCEL services will take place in January. Talk with your child’s
teacher for more information. SOI testing: Grades 1 & 2 A letter
will be mailed in November to the parents of all 1st grade students
offering the opportunity have their child screened for the ExCEL program.
Parents of 2nd grade students should contact their classroom teacher
if they wish to have their child screened. Testing will take place in January. BASIC INFORMATION: EXCEL is a
pull-out program, funded at the discretion of the school board, for students in
need of curriculum differentiation who have been identified for placement in
seminars either through formal identification or nomination by classroom
teachers. The ExCEL instructor meets with small groups of students (12 or less)
weekly, for approximately 1.25 to 1.5 hours to work on critical thinking,
problem solving, creative thinking, inventing and logical reasoning skills
through a variety of enrichment activities. These are typically enrichment activities,
not acceleration. Since the students are working on challenging
activities while in the ExCEL room, teachers are asked to eliminate, reduce or
modify the classroom assignment. For example; the last half of the math
assignment, every other problem on a worksheet, etc.
The ExCEL
teacher will also coordinate the following activities: ·
CML
(Continental Math League) - grades 2-6. Selected math
students are given instruction in problem
solving techniques by the classroom teacher or the ExCEL teacher and then
take part in a national competition. ·
Testing Services
- The ExCEL instructor coordinates the following testing/observation activities to facilitate the identification
of students for service:
SOI
- Structure of the Intellect testing for grades 1-2 in the spring and grades 3-6
in the winter.
HP
- Grade 6 High Performance testing in the winter for possible inclusion in the
junior high HP classes
(English, math, science and social studies). ·
Consultation Services
- The ExCEL teacher can help provide materials and teaching strategies to
parents and classroom teachers thus helping to meet the needs of talented
learners. In addition,
individual buildings may offer other enrichment experiences based on building
needs and the schedule of the TAG teacher, for example: Enrichment Room,
Enrichment Classes, Stock Market Game, MathMasters & WordMasters, Egg Drop,
ExCEL Expo, etc. Due to budget
reductions the following adjustments have been made: ·
A 34%
reduction in staff across the district ·
Reduction of
TAG coordinator from 1.0 to .5 ·
Academic
challenges (DI, FPS, etc.) will be fee based ·
The
following are still on
hiatus: ü
SEM (Schoolwide
Enrichment Model) – a systematic program that provides enrichment for all
students in the building. ü
Inventors Workshop/Young Inventors Fair - grades 4-6. Students are invited to create an original
invention for the school and district Inventors Fairs. ü
Young Authors Conference –
gr. 5-6 ü
Creativity Festival –
gr. 5-6 ü
Physics Force Circus –
gr. 4 Important Terms: ·
TAG:
Talented and Gifted ·
ExCEL: Extended
Curriculum for Elementary
Learners ·
SEM: Schoolwide
Enrichment Model
- A program created by Dr. Joseph Renzulli to provide organized enrichment for
all students. ·
Core Group:
Students who were identified for service through testing (IQ, SOI or
standardized) in the top 3-5% of the general population. They may choose
the seminars they wish to take. ·
Talent Pool:
Students who were identified through testing or observation in the top 6-10%.
They have no guaranteed services but
get the first look when there are openings in seminars after core group
registration. QUESTIONS ???
Mike
Odell (763/420-8888, odellm@district279.org)
or Beth
Carpenter, Supervisor of TAG programs (763/391-7089, carpenterb@district279.org)
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