Middle School

Overview

• Challenging, exciting activities are developed and implemented at the middle school level.
• Advanced Program teachers participate in ongoing professional development on a range of topics.
• Accelerated math and language arts classes are offered to high achieving students.

Identification

Each spring, nominations for placement of incoming 6th-grade students on the advanced teams take place. Identification for advanced classes is based on current achievement data, teacher recommendation, and classroom achievement. In addition, students’ scores at the 8th-grade are utilized for placement in advanced programming high school courses for the following school year. Student progress is reviewed each year.

Accelerated Math Curriculum:

•  6th grade – Advanced 6th-grade math
•  7th grade – Advanced 7th-grade math
•  8th grade – Honors Algebra

Accelerated Language Arts Curriculum:

6th-grade high achieving and high ability ELA students are cluster-grouped. 7th- and 8th-grade high achieving and high ability ELA students are placed in advanced sections.

• Differentiated instruction
• Instruction based on Bloom’s Modified Taxonomy of Higher Level Thinking Skills:
  • Analysis
  • Synthesis
  • Evaluation
  • Creation
•  In-depth literary study