ADVANCED ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Flint Hill Elementary School
Cee Stephens
Advanced Academic Resource Teacher
Cee.Stephens@fcps.edu
FCPS Philosophy
 Each child has a unique profile of strengths and
abilities. FCPS is committed to providing
challenging learning experiences for all learners
that build on their individual strengths and
optimize their abilities.
 One size does not fit all.
 What is best for your child?
AAP Services at Flint Hill
 At Flint Hill Elementary,
we offer ALL four levels
of service.
 Our goal is to provide
services that offer
enrichment and
appropriate learning
opportunities for all of
our students.
Level I Services
 Opportunities provided by classroom teacher or
AAP resource teacher throughout the year with all
students in K-6
 Lessons and activities designed to develop critical
and creative thinking skills as well as higher order
thinking skills
 Critical and Creative Thinking Skills Lessons
 County wide resource
 Based on nine strategies to challenge students to use
and apply knowledge in different ways
Level II Services
 Differentiated instruction in areas of academic
strength
 Provided by classroom teacher in collaboration with
the AAP resource teacher
 Literacy groups, math groups, research projects,
WordMasters (3-6), Continental Math League (CML)
classroom centers, interest centers and projects, etc.
 Differentiation can occur in the materials and
resources used, the process for learning, or the product
created
Level III Services
 Direct instruction provided by the AAP
resource teacher or Level IV teacher for
students identified by the local school in
grades 3-6
 Instruction may be collaboratively taught within
the classroom and/or provided in pull-out groups
Level IV Services
 Full-time Advanced Academic Program, grades 3-8
 Provides a challenging curriculum for identified gifted
students
 Advanced Math is accelerated by one grade level
 Readings and resources are also presented at advanced
levels
 Emphasis on affective as well as cognitive learning with
ongoing opportunities for reflection and selfassessment
Local Level IV Services
 Full-time program
 One classroom per grade is designated
the Level IV homeroom class
 Teachers have gifted endorsement or are currently
pursuing it
 Only Flint Hill students are eligible for placement
 Only students identified by the county as Level IV
eligible are guaranteed placement in the class
 Other placements in the class are made on a
year to year basis
Resources
•William & Mary Language
Arts, Science, and Social
Studies Units, and
Navigator Novel Units
•Junior Great Books
•Caesar’s English
•WordMasters
•Experimental Design
•Socratic Seminar
•Reading Above
•Jacob’s Ladder
•The Great Debate
•Project M3
•Hands on Equations
•Algebra Lab Gear
•Groundworks
•Great Expectations
•Continental Math League
•Algebra Problem Solver
•The Problem Solver Series
•CPO Science
•Jason Project units
•Clarion Science units
•DBQ units
Instructional Strategies
•Interactive notebooks
•Problem solving
•RAFT
•Questioning
•Think-Tac-Toe
•SCAMPER
•Jigsaw
•Kagan structures
•Independent research
•Graphic Organizers
•Simulations
•Multiple Intelligences
•DeBono’s Hats
•Anchor Activities
•Marzano strategies
•Interest centers
•Analogies
•Tiered assignments
•Flexible grouping
•Compacting
•Concept Development
•Document Based Questions
•Critical & Creative Thinking
lessons
Determining Services
 Levels I through III are determined at the
local school level through grade level
collaborative teams and a local screening
committee
 Level IV eligibility is determined through a
county level screening process
Eligibility Decisions
 FCPS uses a holistic approach to eligibility and placement
 Information considered:
 Ability test scores: NNAT, CogAT, WISC, Otis Lennon, etc.
 Achievement test scores: SOLs, IOWA, Terra Nova, etc.
 Gifted Behavior Rating Scale (GBRS)
 Progress Reports
 Record of previous gifted services
 Work Samples
 Parent Questionnaire , certificates, awards,
recommendations (Level IV screening only)
Testing Timeline
2013-2014
 CogAT: October 21-23: Second Grade and select
students in grade 3-6
 NNAT: November 20: First Grade and select
second grade students
 Spring testing (done in February) is only for FCPS
students who have enrolled after fall testing and
are referred for Level IV services
 Private testing may be done through a licensed
psychologist or GMU (703-933-4200)
Screening Process for Level IV
 Grade 2: Pool Candidates
 Screening pool established by FCPS using test scores
from the Naglieri Nonverbal Abilities Test (NNAT)
administered in first grade and the Cognitive Ability
Test (CogAT) administered in second grade
 Grades 2-6
 Parents may submit a Level IV referral for 2nd grade
students not in the pool, and students in grades 3-7
Screening files are prepared by the local school, submitted to
the central selection committee, reviewed by an oversight
committee, and parents are notified by mail of eligibility
decisions.
Screening Process: Step 1
 Parent Referral deadline:
 February
3, 2014
 Second grade pool candidates are
automatically screened in the spring.
No referral is necessary.
Screening Process: Step 2
 ALL optional material due:
 February 3, 2014
 Outside test results
 Student work samples
 Certificates, awards, letters of recommendation
 Parent questionnaire
 ALL optional material MUST adhere to the
size and quantity restrictions.
Screening Process: Step 3
 The local school screening committee
meets to prepare and submit screening
documents and files:
 Test scores
 Progress reports
 Gifted Behavior Rating Scale (aka GBRS)
 Work samples produced in school
 Optional materials provided by parent
Screening Process: Step 4
 Central selection committee convenes in
March and April.
Screening Process: Step 5
 Oversight committee meets in April to
review all ineligible decisions.
Screening Process: Step 6
 Parent notification letters are mailed in May
 Level IV program orientations are held in May
Screening Process: Step 7
 Appeals must be submitted by May 3o, 2014
Screening Process: Step 8
 Appeals decisions are mailed in July, 2014
www.fcps.edu/is/aap
Parent information packet
Timeline and due dates
Testing information
FAQs
Levels of Service
Down the road . . .
 Middle School Honors Program
 Four core subject areas
 Greater levels of depth and complexity
 Open enrollment except Algebra in 7th grade
 Middle School Level IV Center Program
 High School
 Advanced Placement
 International Baccalaureate
 TJHSST
Intelligence is not how much
you know or how fast you
learn, but how you behave
when you don’t know the
answer.
???Questions???
 Please contact me:
Cee Stephens
Advanced Academic
Resource Teacher
Cee.Stephens@fcps.edu
703-242-6100