Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) offers a
continuum of advanced academic services for all students in grades K-8. Learning experiences are designed to develop
higher-level thinking through enrichment, acceleration, and extensions of the
Program of Studies (POS). Teachers,
administrators, and advanced academic resource teachers (AARTs) work together
to provide the following levels of school-based services in each elementary
school:
- Critical and
Creative Thinking Lessons, Grades K-6 (Level
I)
All
students in kindergarten through grade six receive level I services which
consist of model lessons that are designed to teach critical and creative
thinking skills. The lessons are modeled in all classrooms by AARTs and
the thinking strategies are then used throughout the year by classroom teachers
and other teachers who work with students. Student responses to these model lessons
are used as part of the identification process for AAP services. Parents may also practice the thinking
strategies during family conversations and activities. A description of the nine critical and
creative thinking strategies can be found here.
- Differentiated
Lessons in Areas of Academic Strength, Grades K-6 (Level II)
The AART collaborates
with classroom teachers to provide additional challenge through lessons and
resources that extend and enrich the POS. Level II services are part of a talent
development pool. Students are
rescreened annually to make decisions about the need for this level of service.
- Part-Time
Advanced Academic Programs, Grades 3-6 (Level
III)
Students identified by
a local school screening committee for part-time advanced academic services are
challenged through models and strategies designed to extend and enrich the POS
in the four core subject areas.
Students receive direct instruction from the AART at the local school
using curriculum from the AAP Curriculum and Resources to Support the
Differentiated Framework. Students identified for
Level III services continue to receive level III services through grade 6.
Screening for school-based services can happen at any
time during the school year but is done schoolwide in spring to determine
services for the next school year.
Parents or guardians
may initiate the screening for school-based (level II and
III) services by submitting the AAP School-Based
Services (Level II-III) Referral Form (located
at the bottom of the page in forms) to the AART at Sunrise Valley prior to
spring screening by June 1st , 2018. Multiple
criteria are used to screen students for all levels of AAP services.
If a parent or guardian wishes to appeal an ineligible
decision, they may submit an appeal with new data for consideration by the local
school screening committee. This new
information should be submitted to Sara
Balcanoff.
If you have any
questions, please contact Sara Balcanoff
at sebalcanoff@fcps.edu.
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