Sandtown Middle School
TAG & Continuous Achievement Page
Continuous Achievement
About the Model
The Fulton County Board of Education supports our mission statement that each child should be given the opportunity to reach his/her full potential. To that end, our continuous achievement framework for advancement allows each child to progress in language arts and math at his/her optimum pace and depth, expanding and compacting the curriculum as appropriate. The framework is implemented in all elementary and middle schools and includes a process for advancement in the current grade level and an acceleration process which allows a student to advance above grade level.
While no child will be placed below their current grade level, there will be no artificial barrier to moving ahead. Students are accelerated when they demonstrate exceptional performance for their age appropriate grade level and exhibit strong skills for advancing a grade level. Although the guidelines provide criteria for a high percentage of mastery on the acceleration assessments, overall aptitude demonstrated by the collective evidence of past performance and teacher feedback will be considered, with the best interest of the students in mind.
Continuous Achievement ELA
In English/Language Arts, the advanced curriculum is written at a different pace, depth and instructional level than the on-level curriculum, in order to provide appropriate rigor and challenge for students.
Screening Process
As an initial screening, teachers review student performance data comprised of grade level assessments, report cards, diagnostic assessments, and teacher recommendation.
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Screening takes place twice a year.
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Fall: For students who are new to Fulton County Schools. Screening begins in late August to late September after students have taken the iReady Diagnostic Assessment.
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Spring: Screening begins for all students in January/February after the winter iReady Diagnostic Assessment has been administered. Students who score in the 90th percentile and meet other screening criteria move into the testing process.
Continuous Achievement Math
In math, the students in advanced are one semester ahead of the on-level pace, and accelerated students are one full year ahead.
Testing & Placement
Testing:
Students who have met the screening criteria for testing will be tested using a DPA or a Diagnostic Placement Assessment. This assessment is assesses all of the skills students will learn during a school year.
Placement:
Reading/English Language Arts:
Students are advanced placed in Grades 2-8 when they-
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read half a year above grade level
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score approximately 50 percent on the diagnostic placement assessment for ELA for their current grade level
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have demonstrated the ability to master standards at a more rapid rate than their current grade level
Students are accelerated in Grades 2-8 when they-
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read a year above grade level
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score approximately 80% on the diagnostic placement assessments for ELA for their current grade level
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have demonstrated exceptional performance for their age appropriate grade level
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demonstrated strong skills for advancing a grade level
Mathematics:
Students are advanced placed in grades K-7 when they-
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score approximately 80% on the diagnostic placement assessment for the next semester's curriculum
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have demonstrated the ability to aster standards at a more rapid rate than their current grade level
Students are accelerated in grades K-7 when they-
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score approximately 80% on the diagnostic placement assessments for the next year's curriculum
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demonstrated exceptional performance for their age appropriate grade level
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exhibit strong skills for advancing to the next grade level in math
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Each student will be identified as “on-level”, “advanced”, or “accelerated” to clearly communicate their continuous achievement level.
Many talented, brilliant, creative people think they're not because the thing they were good at at school wasn't valued or was actually stigmatized.
-Ken Robinson
