Northern Valley Principals’ Association Procedure for Accelerating Elementary School Students
It is the consensus of the Northern Valley Principals Association that the needs of students who are gifted/talented in any of the subject areas provided in the elementary schools can be accommodated through horizontal-type curriculum enrichment including activities such as special projects, selective assignments and independent study.
The one exception to the above position is the subject area of mathematics. It is the consensus of the Northern Valley Principals Association that, given the highly sequential nature of mathematics, the needs of unusually gifted/talented students in this subject area may require acceleration. Aside from mathematics, if an elementary principal and elementary superintendent agree that a student has such exceptional abilities that cannot be met in the elementary level, a special request will be made to the regional high school superintendent.
Whenever the option of acceleration in mathematics is being explored for elementary school students, the Director of Curriculum and Instruction will be notified, in writing, by the superintendent of the elementary district of this prospect and the Director will inform, in writing, the appropriate high school supervisor. Every effort will be made to identify students before the end of 6th grade. A long-range plan for the student’s elementary and high school program will be developed by the involved elementary principal, the District Director of Guidance, and the District Mathematics Supervisor. The District Director of Guidance will submit the written plan to the superintendent of the elementary school district and the superintendent of the high school district for approval.
Local Criteria:
- Successful completion of pre-algebra in 6th grade
- Taking advanced summer work and achieving a score of 93 or above on the pre-algebra final exam.
Possible Middle School Mathematics Sequence:
- Option # 1- 6th Gr. Pre-algebra; 7th Gr. Algebra; 8th Gr. Geometry
- Option # 2- 6th Gr. General Math; 7th Gr. Pre-algebra; 8th Gr. Algebra
- Option # 3- 6th Gr. General Math; 7th Gr. General Math; 8th Gr. Pre-algebra