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Admissions
Process For Elementary Academically Talented (A.T.) Program*
Question:
How are grade 2 students identified for the Academically Talented
Program?
Answer:
·
March –
Teachers administer the Structure of Intellect (SOI) Test and the Degrees of
Reading Power (DRP) Test to all second
graders.
·
Aug. /Sept. –
A committee of teachers and administrators identifies students eligible for the
program. A.T.
Teachers distribute permission slips to parents to test borderline
students further.
·
September/October
– Parents are notified, and A.T. classes begin in third grade.
Question:
How are students in grades 3, 4, and 5 identified for the Academically
Talented program?
How do parents nominate a child?
Answer:
·
September–
January: If parent wishes to
nominate a child, a completed Parent
Nomination
Form, available in
your school office, should be submitted to the Academically Talented teacher.
·
Parents may
nominate a child only once in elementary school.
·
Parents new to
the district may submit the form between September and November (see Question 3)
·
September–
March: Teachers wishing to nominate
a student submit the Assessment of
Characteristics Form to the A.T. teacher.
·
March:
All records are gathered, and the Permission
to Test form is sent home for students who need additional testing.
·
April:
A.T. teacher administers DRP and/or SOI tests to nominees as needed.
·
June:
A Central Office PPT is held to identify fifth grade students, and
parents are notified.
·
June:
A.T. teachers give the Slosson Test to fifth grade nominees
with borderline scores.
·
August-September:
A Central Office PPT is held, and third/fourth grade students are
identified as Academically Talented.
The Slosson Test is administered to third and fourth grade nominees
with borderline Matrix scores.
·
Start of School
Year: Parents are notified by mail,
of candidate status, and A.T. classes begin.
Question:
What is the nomination sequence for students new to the system after the
school year has begun?
Answer:
·
September –
November (of the entrance year): Parents
may obtain the Parent Nomination Form (available
in the school office), or the classroom teacher may fill out an Assessment
of Characteristics Form to initiate the process.
·
Submit the
completed Parent Nomination Form to
the A.T. teacher in your child’s school.
·
November:
Classroom teachers return the completed nomination forms to A.T. teacher.
A.T. teacher will gather all student information and will send home a Permission
to Test form.
·
December:
A.T. teachers administer the SOI or DRP to nominees if these scores are
not in student’s transcript.
·
January:
Committee identifies eligibility.
The A.T. teacher administers the Slosson test to borderline students.
| February: Parents of eligible children are notified, and A.T.
classes begin. |
Question:
What are the criteria for consideration and/or acceptance into the
elementary Academically Talented program?
Answer:
| There
are three components : (1) Assessment
of Characteristics Form, (2) Structure of Intellect Test (SOI), |
(3)
Reading portion of the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) or the Degree of Reading
Power Test (DRP).
Question:
May I appeal the committee’s decision if my child is not admitted to
the program?
Answer:
| Yes.
If your child is not accepted, you may appeal the committee’s
decision once during elementary school.
If your child is in grades 4-5, you have the right to send a letter
of intent to appeal to Joan Glass, Instructional Specialist in charge of the
A.T. Program, Norwalk Public Schools, 125 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06852.
You will then be scheduled to meet with a committee of teachers and
administrators to discuss your child’s eligibility for the program.
Following the appeals process, the committee’s decision is final. |
*For
further information, please refer to the A.T. section of the Norwalk
Public Schools Elementary Handbook.