MCSA's Mission Statement
MCSA promotes high academic achievement by increasing student engagement through a workshop model that encourages and empowers students to take ownership of their learning.
Definition of Academically or Intellectually Gifted (from NC Public Schools)*
Academically or intellectually gifted (AIG) students perform or show the potential to perform at substantially high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experiences or environment. Academically or intellectually gifted students exhibit high performance capability in intellectual areas, specific academic fields, or in both the intellectual areas and specific academic fields. Academically or intellectually gifted students require differentiated educational services beyond those ordinarily provided by the regular educational program. Outstanding abilities are present in students from all cultural groups, across all economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor.
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MCSA's Gifted & Talented
Education (GATE) Program*
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MCSA's GATE. Program (Gifted and Talented Education) will use its mission statement as the foundation for its identified students in grades 3-5 and selected 6th grade high flyers for an elective class.
Students who are identified as "gifted" through specific testing, such as Cogat, IQ assessments, for example, will be pulled out by the GATE Resource Teacher twice weekly for the purposes of enrichment through a variety of critical thinking tasks. These will include, but not be limited to:**
- Students' own "giftedness",
- Augmented Realtiy activities
- EV3 Robotics programming tasks
- STEM activities such as "hands-on engineering
projects & genetics;
- - Differentiated Learning Projects for Gifted/Advanced Students
- Problem-based Learning opportunities through
technology
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**The above activities will be facilitated based on students' grade levels and the unit(s) connected to that grade.
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Screening, Identification, and
Placement Procedures*
MCSA will use specific aptitude assessments in the identification process. The process consists of four steps:
- Student search process through teacher nominations.
- Data collection. The Program Committee collects data about
each student’s strengths, abilities, and social attributes from
information on the Nomination Forms.
- Program Committee Review - One of three decisions can be
made:
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GATE criteria are met – the student requires differentiated services above and beyond the general education environment and expectations.
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GATE criteria are not met – no additional services will be offered above and beyond differentiated services in the students' classrooms.
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Students may be nominated or screened only after one full calendar year has passed from initial screening process. The school will consider additional information as it becomes available.
Differentiated Education Plan (DEP)
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The Program Committee develops a Differentiated Education Plan (DEP) for identified GATE students. Parents must give written approval for a student to participate in any service delivery option.
Continuation of Services for GATE students
All GATE students with a DEP are monitored annually by the Program committee to determine the appropriate service delivery options for the following year. When a student’s learning needs are no longer being met by the current service delivery option, the Program Committee will review all of the data to make a determination for the appropriate level of service required.
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Students transferring from another school will present to MCSA all information regarding the student’s identification for differentiated services. MCSA will review the information, apply its criteria for identification, and make a decision concerning service delivery options.
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Service Delivery Options
Learning Environments are the ways students are grouped to receive instruction. These environments include flexible grouping, ability grouping, and cluster grouping.
Enrichment Opportunities are those programs which may exist within the curriculum, but which are often outside the regular curriculum. They provide students with opportunities to explore topics or pursue interests in greater depth. Examples of enrichment opportunities at MCSA could include Math Olympiad, Science Olympiad, Book clubs, Geography Bee, or Spelling Bees.
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* Adapted From Voyager Academy Charter School
