+Culver City Middle School

Honors & Acceleration

2015-16

+Agenda

Honors ELA

Math Pathways and Placement

Choosing Honors or Accelerated

Foreign Language options

Bio Honors for next year’s 8th graders

+Purpose

To provide challenging opportunities

Allow students to grow in the area(s) that they have talents, gifts or interests

Promote independence, high school and post secondary readiness

In some cases, to move ahead with HS course completion

+English Language Arts

Honors, (formerly Scholars) at every grade in ELA

Students must complete summer assignments due first week of school

Open access to students who are committed to the challenge This is a one year commitment

+

Honors or not?

• Is ELA the child’s strength?

• Difference between honors and regular

• What else is the child balancing?

• Year-long commitment

+Math Placements1. Students are taking an end of year assessment

to inform placements

2. Based on assessment and progress throughout the year, teachers will make recommendations and communicate with parents

3. If recommendation is different than what students/parents expect, conversation with counselor and teacher should take place in order to reach consensus

4. Parents and students must sign Academic Commitment form which places the student in the course for the entire school year

+6th grade Math Options

Math 6

Accelerated 6 (means 6th and half of 7th grade Common Core Math)

+7th grade Math Options

Math 7

Accelerated 7 (means 7th and half of 8th grade Common Core Math)

For students who have done exceptionally well in Math 6

+8th grade Math Options

Math 8—This is the state recommended level for 8th graders—students in Math 7 go to Math 8

Algebra 1—this is for students in Accel. 7

+Math Pathways

+How do I know which is the best pathway for my child???

Test to inform families-taken at the end of the year (new students at beginning of the year)

Talk to the current teacher

Try to think long term and not push students if it is not their strength

+Other opportunities for acceleration Foreign language Science

+Foreign Language

7th or 8th graders can take a one semester Spanish or Japanese class to prepare for 7th grade—highly recommended

8th graders can take HS level Spanish I or Japanese I This allows them to move to Level II with successful

completion of B or better (students will be assessed at the end of the course for HS placement)

Fulfills the E requirement on A-G requirements for college admissions

Earn 10 HS credits, transcripted

+SCIENCE

8th grade option: Biology Honors at CCHSTaken on the CCHS campus (this means

there are HS students in the class with 8th graders)Course is everyday (on CCHS bell

schedule), HW everydayThis is a student who is highly committed

to at least an hour or two each night of HW

+Bio H continued….

This is for a very select group of students who meet criteria

7th grade teacher recommendation, all As in Science grades 6/7 a 3.75 overall GPAConcurrent enrollment in at least AlgebraHas a propensity to problem solve, strong

work ethic, resilience and a general inquiry based framework towards Biology

Replaces their 8th grade Science courseHS level, 10 credits transcripted

+DROP POLICY ON HS LEVEL COURSES (Bio H, Japanese & Spanish I)

Changes can be made the first week of school—this require coordination with the HS if it is Bio H Start at the MS with the counselor and the counselor

will then work with the HS

In weeks 2-20, students who drop a HS level course (even if taken on the MS campus) students will receive a F/Drop on the transcript—COLLEGES WILL SEE THIS Changes will only be able if there are alternate

courses available