Gifted & High Ability

In accordance with Indiana Code, Elkhart Community Schools defines a high ability student as one who performs or shows the potential for performing at an outstanding level of academic accomplishment in math, language arts, or both, when compared to other students of the same age, experience or environment; and is characterized by exceptional gifts, talents, motivation, or interests.

Multiple delivery systems meet a variety of student needs ranging from specific academic strengths to general intellectual giftedness.

Differentiated Instruction: Students may receive differentiated instruction within the regular classroom for subject-specific strengths.
Elementary High Ability Magnet Program: Students in Grades 3-6 at the highest level of qualification are invited to attend the Roosevelt STEAM Academy High Ability magnet program.
Honors Courses: In middle school, honors courses in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies are designed for students with high general intellect or content-specific academic strengths. Elkhart High School offers Honors, Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, Early College, and Project Lead the Way courses to accommodate a variety of needs among high-ability learners.

Formal identification begins in kindergarten and continues through the years. Students can be identified as high ability in the areas of Mathematics, English/Language Arts, or General Intellectual (includes both Mathematics and English/Language Arts) on nationally normed instruments. The standard cut score of the 95th percentile will be applied for eligibility.

Performance: All ECS students in Grades K-8 participate in Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing provided by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). Scores from the winter administration are used to identify students with high achievement levels.

Potential: Students in Grade K, 2, and 5 are administered the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAt) to identify those with high academic potential.

Standard Error of Measure: Students with scores that are two points or less from eligibility cut score for high ability identification, or at the 93rd or 94th percentile, will also be rated on the Scales for Identifying Gifted Students (SIGS).

Each spring families of students identified with high achievement and/or ability are notified by the district’s Exceptional Learners Department of placement options. Elementary students found with high ability in both English/Language Arts and Mathematics will have priority access to self-contained settings in cases where space is limited. Program placement occurs each fall following the spring identification process. Instructional adjustments are made throughout the year as indicated by formative assessments.

Upon identification, parents/guardians of general intellect High Ability students in incoming Grades 3-6 are notified of their options to send their child to attend the Roosevelt High Ability Magnet Program.  This program is a self-contained classroom with all identified general intellect High Ability students. Since all students in the class will be identified as High Ability, the self-contained magnet can provide both an accelerated and enriched experience with a specific High Ability core curriculum that allows for maximum time spent on higher-level thinking skills and problem-solving. 

Incoming Grade 1-2 students, along with those identified in a specific content area, will be served in their neighborhood school through classroom differentiation and/or cluster groupings of high-ability students.  High Ability students in cluster classrooms will receive primarily enrichment as their service option.

Students who qualify for High Ability services in Grades 7 and 8 have opportunities to take high school courses offered at the middle schools. Such courses currently include Honors Algebra and Honors Geometry, as well as Honors sections of English/Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies courses. Extracurricular clubs are varied and give students opportunities for quality experiences aligned with their passions. At the secondary level, honors classes are not restricted to only those students who qualify for high ability, but rather are scheduled for students based on a number of data points including high ability identification.

High Ability high school students at Elkhart Community Schools have extensive opportunities to learn rigorous curriculum at an accelerated pace. Elkhart High School offers Honors, Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, Early College, and Project Lead the Way courses to accommodate a variety of needs among high-ability learners.

Through Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, and Early College, high school students are able to attain college credits at low or no cost. These programs have saved ECS families over $10 million to date. Graduates from the High Ability program are prepared for success wherever their interests take them.

The Broad Based Planning Committee (BBPC) meets on a quarterly basis and is open to the public. All building administrators, parents and teachers of high ability students are invited. One or more students from each secondary school is specifically invited as well. The meeting is facilitated by the Director of High Ability and is also often attended by other central office administrators and school board members.

The meeting dates are set and announced annually. Typically the meeting is attended by at least 20 individuals. Although the committee may ask to address other issues, the agendas for the meetings typically follow the following topics:

• Quarter 1: Reviewing goals and identifying action steps
• Quarter 2: Professional development needs; Parent support needs
• Quarter 3: Examining performance data for students; programming implications
• Quarter 4: Identifying priorities for next year and propose budget for grant application

• NWEA results for all students in Grades K-8 will be reviewed each year by a district team. Additionally, CogAT is used in Grades K, 2, and 5 to look for cognitive potential for all students not already identified as High Ability. This thorough assessment strategy precludes the need to request additional testing in most cases and allows for equal opportunities.
• Parents of students in Grades 1, 3, and 4 who have not participated in CogAT the prior year may request this assessment be given on the off year by speaking to their building principal.
• Parents of students who have previously been identified as High Ability who believe that their students would be better be served in general education should contact the building principal to discuss their concerns.