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Policy 10A Accelerated and Enriched Instruction

C
A. PURPOSE:
The Board of Education is committed to promoting rigorous performance and achievement standards
and to providing instructional programs and services that encourage all students to achieve at their
highest level. A continuum of services for an innovative, relevant, accelerated and enriched instructional
program that propels all students to achieve at higher levels in all subject areas and in all Grades K-12
is necessary for attaining this goal. Traditionally underserved groups must receive guidance and support
to develop their talents to participate equitably at the highest levels of this continuum.

B. ISSUE: All students deserve be appropriately challenged and are entitled to a full year's growth
each school year. To that end, an effective, differentiated accelerated and enriched instructional
program must include the following:

Proposed Beliefs

1. Equal access to and support for accelerated and enriched instruction for all students, including
students with disabilities, from all racial, ethnic and cultural groups, and across all economic strata
in all schools K-12.

2. Ongoing identification of student strengths to determine appropriate levels of service.

3. Development of talents, abilities, and potential of all students, including underachieving and
traditionally underserved students.

4. A continuum of services for accelerated and enriched instruction that meets the needs of all
students demonstrating ability, potential, or motivation to attempt advanced level coursework.

5. Clearly defined and communicated accelerated and enriched pathways with clearly articulated
learning objectives in each content area.

6. Differentiated rigorous curriculum, instruction and resources for all students.

7. Flexible and varied grouping arrangements such cs including homogeneous. heterogeneous,

4€4:4Gige-Reo.u-s-, and homogeneous cluster groups in heterogeneous classrooms to enhance
delivery of accelerated and enriched instruction to accommodate diversity in student backgrounds,
abilities, readiness levels, and interests.

8. Consistency of implementation of services and programs within and among schools, K-12.

9. High quality professional development focused on building knowledge, skills and expectations that
enable all students to reach their maximum potential.

10. Clear and timely communication between and among parents, students and teachers regarding
program opportunities and student progress.

11. System-wide data points regularly collected, monitored, and published annually to ensure
consistency of implementation and accountability for program effectiveness.

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C. POSITION:
1. Programs and Services
The ability of students to work at an advanced level is a dynamic quality and is developmental
in nature. A continuum of programs and services that ensures that all students have an
equitable opportunity to develop their skills and talents and enables them to benefit from
accelerated and enriched instruction will include the following:
a. In all schools and in all grades-
1) High expectations and opportunities for students to develop critical
and creative thinking skills in all grades and in all content areas.
2) Clearly defined and articulated accelerated and enriched pathways of instruction
with clear learning objectives offered in all grades, in all content areas.
3) Elements of the accelerated and enriched curriculum for use in the regular
curriculum, when appropriate.
4) A mentoring and support system to nurture students' talents and to encourage
students to attempt, persevere and succeed at more challenging levels.
5) Instruction that is differentiated based on appropriate data to provide students
pacing and levels of support that meet their individual needs.
6) Use of multiple indicators during instruction to accelerate students to the most
challenging coursework.
7) Continued review of data that serves as the basis for recommendations regarding
instruction for each student at the next grade level.
8) Flexible and varied grouping arrangements, thqt include both homogeneous and
heterogeneous, that reflect grouping by achievement level, by interest, and by
learning profile to ensure that students are motivated and challenged to succeed at
their highest levels.
9) Organization of schedules to include substantial time for students to interact with
academic peers.

b. Because children entering the school system in their early years arrive with varied
strengths, reflecting previous experience, and do not all manifest their potential when
evaluated by conventional methods of assessment, instruction in grades pre-K-5
should involve efforts to detect and nurture such talents. This will include
1) primary talent development tools that include assessments, diagnostic tools, and
instruction designed to reveal, document and nurture the strengths and potential of
all students in all subject areas.
2) opportunities for all students to accelerate substantially in mathematics, reading,
and writing instruction in all subject areas.
3) programs for students whose needs cannot easily be met in local schools.

c. Students in grades 6-12 continue to develop their talents, skills, and knowledge at
different rates. A differentiated continuum of services and programs is necessary to
maintain an optimal instructional match that propels the emerging potential and
achievement of students. This will include

1) opportunities for all students to accelerate substantially into more advanced work or
benefit from enrichment opportunities in all subject areas.
2) programs in middle and high schools for students with specialized interests and
talents or for students whose needs cannot easily be met in local schools.
3) dual enrollment in university level courses for secondary school students.
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2. Identification for Services
a. Each school, K-12, will follow an established process to ensure that every student is
receiving the highest instructional challenge, appropriate for his or her needs.
b. The process will include the use of system-wide data for making recommendations for
student services annually and reporting these recommendations to parents.
c. Each school, K-12, will offer accelerated and enriched programs and instruction to ensure
that all students engage in challenging coursework, appropriate for identified needs.

3. Reporting and Communication

a. There will be a system for annually updating and informing parents and the community for
the purpose of accountability about
1.) accelerated and enriched programs and services available at the school level and at
system wide level,
2.) selection or choice procedures for enrollment in special programs beyond those
offered at the local school,
3.) accessing support services available through MCPS.
b. To ensure consistency of implementation and effectiveness of accelerated and enriched
instructional services within and among schools, key data points that measure student
participation and performance significantly above grade level will be collected, analyzed,
monitored, and published in a timely manner to affect change. These key data points will be
published at least annually. Individual student acceleration information will be included on
the student report card.
c. School and central office staff will communicate with students, parents, and the community
regularly to discuss program options, program changes, and student progress.
d. Evaluation and assessment of data will guide specific recommendations for improvement
and assure that best practices are implemented in all schools.

4. Professional Development
a. Professional development focused on building knowledge, skills, and expectations that
enable students already working above grade level to reach their maximum potential will be
integrated with overall school and district based professional development programs.
b. Professional development specific to the nature and needs of advanced level students will
be offered routinely to provide staff the knowledge, skills, and strategies necessary for
challenging these students.
c. Professional development specific to recognizing non-traditional demonstrations of
knowledge and skills, to uncovering and developing students' talents and to nurturing
students' critical and creative thinking skills, especially of traditionally underserved groups
will be offered routinely. Additionally, professional development that builds the knowledge
of skills and strategies necessary for equitable identification and support of students
capable of succeeding in accelerated and enriched programs will be integrated with overall
school and district based professional development programs.
d. Professional development will be differentiated based on staff level of knowledge of
principles that allow all students to reach their maximum potential.

5. Coordination
a. A management structure will clearly delineate roles and responsibilities of each MOPS office
and the schools to oversee instructional program development, assessment, monitoring and

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accountability, and communications to ensure the development and maintenance of
accelerated and enriched program excellence.
b. A data management system will monitor consistency of implementation and the
effectiveness of programs and will include regular collection, analysis, and dissemination of
system-wide data points.
c. This data management system will gather specific recommendations to improve accelerated
and enriched instructional programs at the school and system level.

D. DESIRED OUTCOMES:

1. A continuum of accelerated and enriched services with clearly articulated learning objectives in
each subject area will be provided consistently and routinely in every school, K-12.

2. The talents of all students will be developed to enable them to participate in a program of
instruction that challenges them and allows them to achieve their maximum potential.

3. All schools will use a variety of flexible grouping arrangements including homogeneous,
such 2&
heterogeneous, hornogo-neet.2s. and homogeneous clusters in heterogeneous classrooms to
enhance the delivery of an accelerated and enriched instructional program.

4. The classroom, school organization, and instructional strategies will promote the understanding
that all students can achieve at high levels, including those traditionally underserved groups and
those with unique abilities and interests.

5. A system for gathering, disaggregating, and communicating data that measure consistent and
effective implementation of accelerated and enriched programs will provide accountability and
information for continuous program enhancement.

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Version to be reviewed by Advisory February 12, 2009