GIFTED EDUCATION

The Cloverleaf Local School District recognizes the importance of providing all students with an appropriate, comprehensive, and rigorous curriculum.   In order to do this, the district must first determine the cognitive ability and specific academic achievement levels of our students.  The following whole-grade assessments are administered to all students to accomplish this goal and to identify gifted and potentially gifted students, in the areas of superior cognitive ability, mathematics, reading, science and social studies.      

Grade 2:  Iowa Tests of Basic Skills® (ITBS®)

Description: http://riverpub.com/products/itbs/details.html

Grade 3: Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT®), Form 6

Description: http://riverpub.com/products/cogAT/details.html

Grade 4: Iowa Tests of Basic Skills® (ITBS®)

Description: (see Grade 2 Description above)

Grade 8: ACT EXPLORE®

Description: http://www.act.org/explore/features.html

EXPLORE Parent Pamphlet: http://www.act.org/explore/pdf/WhyTakeEXPLORE.pdf

All gifted identification assessment instruments employed by the district are approved by the Ohio Department of Education.   Individual student progress reports generated from these assessments are shared with parents, teachers, and administrators and serve as detailed snapshots of student ability and current achievement performance.   The results of these assessments will be considered, along with data from other assessments, when making district and building level instructional and curricular decisions. 

In keeping with the district’s expectation that all students will actively engage in rigorous curriculum and maintain a high level of academic achievement, students are evaluated for participation in advanced courses during middle school and high school, based on each student’s academic performance and level of readiness.  The following educational opportunities reflect the district’s commitment to 1) academic excellence and 2) the principle that every student is to be provided with appropriate educational challenges.     

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Grades 1 – 6

Gifted students in grades 1 through 6 will be grouped together in the general education classroom to ensure that all students are placed with peers of similar ability.  Student grouping during classroom instruction will be flexible and determined by student readiness, ability, and achievement level. To provide appropriate challenges for our highly capable students, the district gifted coordinator will assist the classroom teachers with the development of curriculum and instruction. 

Middle School   
Accelerated Math and/or Language Arts Courses
Students entering seventh-grade are evaluated for placement into Algebra I or Pre-Algebra Courses.   Academically advanced students in reading/language arts are also considered for enrollment in eighth-grade English.   

High School
Advanced Placement Courses (AP)   
The Advanced Placement Program offers college level courses to high school students.   Students who perform well on AP exams may earn college credit and advanced placement while, at the same time, establishing themselves as competitive college applicants.    

Honors Courses
Honors courses provide academic rigor for advanced students.  The curriculum pacing in these courses is accelerated, and the instruction is focused on higher level thinking skills, problem solving, and project-based learning.  Students enrolled in honors courses may be required to complete summer assignments.  

Post Secondary Enrollment Options Program (PSEOP)
High school students in Ohio are eligible to enroll in post secondary courses.  The program is available to qualified students in grades 9 – 12.  Students may choose to receive college credit or both college and high school graduation credit for this coursework.