Identification Process
District 181 is committed to using multiple measures to identify students for the district’s ACE and enrichment programs. The goal is to provide an appropriate placement to meet students’ education needs.
The assessment of students for the ACE Program and math or language arts courses occurs during the spring of grade 2, leading to formal identification at the end of the school year.
Initial screening of all students involves using the SCAT (School & College Ability Tests), InView, and STEP (Sequential Tests of Education Progress) as well as teacher observation.
Please see the placement criteria located on our website under the download link.
Parents of second graders receive a letter from the school district notifying them of their child’s test results and placement at the end of the school year.
District 181 does not accept scores from outside testing.
Program Model
Each elementary school has a full-time gifted specialist, who works directly with students in large and small group settings and supports classroom teachers.
Grades K-2
Students in grades K-2 are not formally identified, but informally, they receive services as needed.
Grades 3-5
These are the components of the program model for third through fifth grade: Ace, advanced math, enriched language arts and language arts plus.
ACE Program
Affective & Cognitive Enrichment
Students identified for this program are those students who have scored significantly high in cognitive ability. ACE students are bused to one of the district’s elementary schools one full day per week. These students miss one day per week in their home schools. They are responsible for missed learning, but not all missed work.
Self-contained
The district’s self-contained gifted program, ACE, is taught by a gifted specialist. Students identified for ACE meet one full day a week at one of the district’s elementary schools. The program uses an interdisciplinary curriculum including elements of problem-based learning. The program allows children to meet with other identified children in the same grade throughout the district. It emphasizes social emotional specific to the needs of gifted students.
Language Arts and Math
Students identified for these courses are those who have demonstrated outstanding academic performance in reading, math, or both as shown on achievement tests. Services are provided in the home schools.
Classroom Instruction
Students will be accelerated and/or receive differentiation where appropriate in language arts. Students will be accelerated one year in math. Gifted specialists will provide support to classroom teachers who work with this advanced group.
Push-in/pull out
Students work with the gifted specialist for 30-60 minutes twice a week through push-in or pull-out service delivery. During this time, students in course II receive enrichment. This is in addition to the acceleration/differentiation provided in course I.
The elementary language arts and math programs are designed to meet the needs of high achievers in the area of language arts and/or math. The initial identification of students in grade 2 occurs in the spring for the following school year. Students may be moved into or out of courses based upon demonstrated classroom performance throughout the years. This decision is made collaboratively at the building level.