Acceleration Options Revealed

Acceleration Options Revealed

The University of Texas at Austin High School

Holly Victoria Noval, CC Flickr

Contact Information Heather Vaughn

Coordinator of Advanced Academics 512.471.3693

[email protected]

http://highschool.utexas.edu/gt_advanced_early.php

•  highschool.utexas.edu

highschool.utexas.edu

Our Mission Improve outcomes for school districts, educators, and students across Texas and beyond, by creating innovative learning experiences and provide strategic support services.

UTHS Programs & Services •  Diploma Program •  High School Courses •  Credit by Exams (CBEs) •  Parent & Student Resources •  G/T, Advanced, & Early Readiness •  ELL, LUCHATM, & Migrant •  Partner Schools •  Professional Development

Video

Are your gifted students accelerating or stuck on the escalator?

League of Women Voters, flickr CC

WHY ACCELERATE?

Research says… •  Holding gifted students back can be more

stressful for them than moving forward. •  Grade-skipping has aided social

relationships. •  Single-subject and grade acceleration has

demonstrated significant academic growth. •  Acceleration has been a highly successful

intervention technique with intellectually gifted learners.

Bailey, S. (2004), Guidelines for Accelerated Progression Manual (2000), Robinson (2006)

Grade Acceleration Allows a gi*ed student to shorten the amount of years

needed to complete K-‐12 curriculum

Fits students that process and achieve well beyond peers, that are highly mo?vated and independent, that are socially mature, and that have wide-‐ranging interests

Results in improved social adjustment and self-‐esteem

Results in academic gains of 1+ years of addi?onal educa?onal growth

Guidelines for Accelerated Progression Manual (2000), Rogers (2002), Robinson (2006)

Is the Grade Acceleration Working?

Learning comfortably

Bonding with classmates

Preference for this learning environment

Making academic progress


Discussion •  What examples of grade acceleration

have you experienced in your district? •  Who promotes grade acceleration in your

district?

Single Subject Acceleration

Allows a gi*ed student to move more rapidly

through content mastery in a single subject area

Fits students that process and achieve well beyond peers, that are highly

mo?vated and independent, and that

prefer challenge

Results in academic gains of about 3/5 of a year’s addi?onal educa?onal

growth


Is the Subject Acceleration Working?

Keeping up with

expecta?ons

Learning comfortably

Interac?ng with

classmates

Supervision of student’s work

Preference for this learning environment


Discussion •  What examples of subject acceleration

have you experienced in your district? •  Who promotes subject acceleration in

your district?

Who is a Good Candidate? These are guidelines, not imperatives.

A student that exhibits: •  Academic capacity

above the placement class average

•  Good physical health •  Social and emotional

readiness

Even if all expectations for acceleration have been met, the best educational interest of the student must be considered.

Bailey, S. (2004), Guidelines for Accelerated Progression Manual (2000), Robinson (2006), Rogers (2002)

Responsible Acceleration Highlights

•  Occur at natural transition points •  Plan a trial period of 6-9 weeks •  Avoid excessive expectations for grade

advancement •  Base acceleration decisions on facts

Bailey, S. (2004), Guidelines for Accelerated Progression Manual (2000), Robinson (2006)

When to Consider Acceleration Options Op#on Age Range Grade Range

Single Subject Accelera?on 6-‐18 *6-‐14

1-‐12 *1-‐8

Grade Accelera?on 6-‐18 1-‐12

Tes?ng Out 7-‐22* 2-‐13*

Correspondence/ Online Learning

9-‐18 *12-‐18

3-‐12 *7-‐12

Advanced Placement/ IB 14-‐18 *16-‐18

8-‐12 *10-‐12

Mentorships 15-‐18 *17-‐18

9-‐12 *11-‐12

Rogers (2002)

HOW CAN STUDENTS ACCELERATE?

Credit by Exam (CBE) •  According to Texas State Board of Education

rules, school districts must offer examinations for acceleration at every grade level and for every subject area offered in grades K-12.

•  To help schools serve this mandate, UT High School offers a wide array of exams.

•  Students may advance to the next course once

they have received credit from the district.

Credit by Exam (CBE) •  With approval from the local school district,

students seeking placement credit in a subject area in which they have not received prior instruction may earn credit by passing these exams with a grade of 80% or above.

•  Each exam has a three-hour time limit.

•  Students may test with a local/ school proctor or arrange for an exam at the UT DEV Testing Center.

Creation of CBEs •  Developed and

reviewed by highly qualified teachers

•  Aligned with 100% TEKS

•  Audited by content experts

•  Annual audit results are reported to TEA

Exams Available Kindergarten-8th grade

–  Science –  Social Studies –  Language Arts –  Math

High School Exams Available

CTE

•  Business Informa?on Management (A/B)

ELA

•  English 1 (A/B)* •  English 2 (A/B)* •  English 3 (A/B) •  English 4 (A/B)

Fine Arts and Speech

•  Art 1 (A/B) •  Communica?on Applica?ons

High School Exams Available Health and PE

(1 Semester Course)

• Health 1 • PE 1A: Founda?ons of Personal Fitness

• PE 1B: • Bowling/Cycling • Bowling/Golf • Bowling/Racquetball • Cycling/Golf • Cycling/Racquetball • Golf/Racquetball

Languages Other Than English

• French 1 (A/B) • French 2 (A/B) • Japanese 1 • Japanese 2 • Korean 1 • Korean 2

Languages Other Than English

• Mandarin Chinese 1 (Tradi?onal)

• Mandarin Chinese 1 (Simplified)

• Mandarin Chinese 2 (Tradi?onal)

• Mandarin Chinese 2 (Simplified)

• Spanish 1 (A/B) • Spanish 2 (A/B) • Spanish 3 (A/B)

High School Exams Available Science

•  Integrated Physics & Chemistry (A/B)

•  Biology (A/B)* •  Chemistry (A/B) •  Physics (A/B) •  Environmental Systems (A/B)

Social Studies & Economics

• World Geography Studies (A/B)

• World History Studies (A/B)

•  U.S. History (A/B)* •  U.S. Government •  Economics

Mathema?cs

•  Algebra 1 (A/B)* •  Geometry (A/B) •  Algebra 2 (A/B) •  Pre-‐Calculus (A/B)

Exam Preparation •  Free, printable study guides on our

website •  TEKS Format:

•  (Number) – Knowledge and Skill Statement •  (Letter) – Student expectation

•  TEKS Language: Including vs Such As •  “Including” references content that must be

mastered •  “Such as” illustrates possible examples

http://tea.texas.gov/curriculum/teks/

Example of “Including” Kindergarten Science TEKS (7) Earth and space. The student knows that the natural world includes earth materials. The student is expected to:

(B) observe and describe physical properties of natural sources of water, including color and clarity

Example of “Such As” Kindergarten Science TEKS (3) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student knows that information and critical thinking are used in scientific problem solving. The student is expected to:

(B) make predictions based on observable patterns in nature such as the shapes of leaves

Example of Both Kindergarten Science TEKS (8) Earth and space. The student knows that there are recognizable patterns in the natural world and among objects in the sky. The student is expected to:

(C) observe, describe, and illustrate objects in the sky such as the clouds, Moon, and stars, including the Sun.

Exam Preparation •  Released STAAR Exams

– Reading and Mathematics, grades 3–8 – Writing at grades 4 and 7 – Science at grades 5 and 8 – Social Studies at grade 8

•  End-of-course assessments for English I, English II, Algebra I, Biology and U.S. History

http://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment/staar/

Exam Preparation •  Reduce test anxiety

– Encourage students to review the study guide

– Assure students that the exam only determines what they know

– Teach students relaxation techniques

Who Awards Credit? •  Each district will determine acceptance of

exam scores and grant credit. •  Local policy will determine the

expectations and exam administration windows.

Example District Policy Klein ISD •  Elementary and Intermediate

students may accelerate an entire grade level or one core course by taking Credit by Exam (CBE) and scoring 80 on the required assessments. Kindergarten and Grade 1 students must meet the state enrollment requirements before registering for Credit by Exam.

Example District Policy Klein ISD •  High School Credit Courses Students may

earn credit for high school courses by scoring an 80 or above on a Credit by Exam (CBE). Students must not have prior instruction in the course they are attempting. Credit will be awarded for core high school courses after the student has successfully completed both semester exams.

Benefits of CBEs •  Rigor

–  Exams are rigorous and relevant

–  Developed by certified teachers

•  Success –  Aligned with TEKS –  Shows mastery of material

•  Access –  Allows students to take

courses at their academic level

•  Completion –  Can assist in early

graduation

Concerns with CBEs •  K-8th grade –

students advance to next grade level

•  May lead to gaps in knowledge

•  High School – pass A but not B

Virtual EyeSee, CC Flickr

Questions?

References Bailey, S., Chaffrey, G., Gross, M., Macleod, M., Merrick, C., & Targett, R. (2004). Types of acceleration and their effectiveness. Retrieved November 16, 2015, from http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10487.aspx Guidelines for Accelerated Progression Manual. (2000). Retrieved November 16, 2015, fromhttp://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/policies/gats/assets/pdf/accel_guide.pdf Robinson, N. (2006). Duke TIP. Retrieved November 16, 2015, from https://tip.duke.edu/node/796 Rogers, K. B. (2002). Re-forming gifted education: How parents and teachers can match the program to the child. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press.

Documents

Acceleration Options Revealed