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Enrichment

Orland School District 135 serves the academic needs of high-performing students through a tiered Enrichment Program that is supported by current research. Enrichment fosters the intellectual growth and development of participating students as they strive to reach their full potential.

Students who benefit from placement and support of an Enrichment Program may be those who master content at an accelerated rate, understand interdisciplinary relationships, ask significant questions, think abstractly, and use critical thinking skills in diverse problem-solving situations. The Orland 135 Enrichment Program provides a variety of experiences that develop, enhance, and extend the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are critical to preparing students for the future.

The program utilizes differentiated instructional strategies to promote high-level thinking, abstract reasoning, and independent learning. Students are expected to express their learning through differentiated responses and products. Through enhancements and extensions of state and district curriculum standards, students have the opportunity to develop and demonstrate their academic talents in a rich and supportive learning environment.

Enrichment Program Goals and Expectations: 

Program Goals:

  • Promote high academic achievement

  • Increase higher-level thinking skills 

  • Foster a positive self-concept

  • Develop within each child an appreciation for the abilities and talents of self and others

  • Foster mastery of skills and the desire to continue to learn throughout life

Student Goals: 

  • Master multi-disciplinary content related to broad-based issues and themes

  • Experience in-depth learning in content areas through group and independent study

  • Develop creative products that challenge existing ideas and produce new ideas using a variety of techniques and materials

  • Participate in open-ended learning experiences 

  • Develop communication skills

Student Performance Expectations:

Students who participate in Self-Contained Enrichment, Enrichment Reading, High Math, or Honors programs are expected to show potential of exemplary work habits and study skills, complete assignments promptly, and sustain high levels of involvement and engagement within the  Enrichment program.

 

Programs 3rd-8th Grade: 

  • Enrichment Reading (3rd-5th Grade): Pull out literacy activities to enhance and enrich learning standards and opportunities

  • High Math (3rd-5th Grade): differentiated math programming which takes place in a self-contained regular education class. Students identified for this class are grouped based on their need for a deeper exploartion of grade level standards. High math classes do not skip grade level standards. Discussions regarding high math placement should be had with the building principal. 

  • Self-Contained Enrichment (3rd-5th Grade): Students who typically perform at the highest level are grouped into one classroom. This is a District program and there is one 3rd, one 4th, and one 5th grade classroom. 

  • ELA/Social Studies Honors: Grades 6th-8th

  • Math/Science Honors: Grades 6th-8th

  • Integrated Math: 8th Grade

Identification Process for 3rd-8th Grade Programs

Orland School District 135 uses multiple assessments as well as a checklist of observed behaviors to identify students who qualify for enrichment, honors, and high math programming.  
It is extremely important to note that one assessment or data point does not determine qualification for any programming in Orland School District 135.   Administrators and teachers examine student data from formal assessments of ability and achievement, as well as teacher observational data.

 

Data used for student identification:

  • NWEA-MAP Assessments
    • Administered three times per year (fall, winter, spring) to all students in grade K-8
    • It is important to note that NWEA-MAP is District 135’s mandated universal screener.  To move forward in the identification process, a student must demonstrate appropriate academic achievement in relation to grade level peers on this screening assessment.
  • Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAt) Screener
    • Administered during the school year to 2nd and 5th grade students and other students, as needed
  • Teacher Input
    • Checklist of Observed Behaviors (ELA & Math)
  • Completed for each student who shows high academic achievement and/or ability through the above assessments
  • Local norms have been created for this checklist so that we know which students exhibit academic behaviors far above those of grade level peers.   
  • Report Card Grades for ELA & Math
  • Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) Assessments in English/Language Arts and Mathematics
    • Administered to all students in grades 3-8 in spring of each school year

By using this variety of tools to identify students for enrichment and honors programming, we examine each student’s academic achievement (NWEA-MAP and IAR), ability (CogAt), and observed academic behaviors in the school setting (Teacher Checklist and grades).  This allows us to triangulate the data and look at student characteristics through multiple lenses.

 

Collection of Data for Qualification:

Important Notes:

  • Teachers, parents, or administrators may request that students be screened for Enrichment program eligibility by contacting the building principal.

  • Once a student qualifies for an Enrichment program, he or she will continue in the program as long as the student meets the performance expectations.

  • Students can qualify at any grade 3rd-8th for an Enrichment program. 

Grade K-2 Enrichment Opportunities:

  • Primary enrichment resource teachers work with students scoring in the 98th to 99th percentile on district assessments.   

  • During this time the enrichment resource and classroom teacher collaborate to observe and assess student performance.

  • Enrichment resource teachers engage students in interdisciplinary units and focus on application of higher-order thinking skills.  

  • *At the end of the 2nd grade year, information gathered through assessments and classroom observations is used to consider placement decisions for 3rd grade.