Advanced Academic Programs

LEVEL IV SERVICES: CENTRAL SCREENING AND

SELECTION
for FCPS Families of Students in Grades 2-7

Janice Years
[email protected]
McNair Elementary
Advanced Academic Programs
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-ov
erview/advanced-academic-programs
 Essential Questions
• What happens in AAP levels I-IV?
• What happens in the Level IV AAP
classroom?
• What does it mean that a level IV
referral file is considered
holistically?
• What kind of work samples are
helpful for the committee?
• What is the timeline for this
process?
• What is my role in the process as
a parent/guardian?
We match students to a level of service rather than label as “gifted” or not.
What happens
in Advanced
Academic
Programs
levels I-IV?
Level I: Critical and Creative Thinking Skills
For All Students
 Multiple Entry Points for AAP Curriculum
Differentiated Curriculum High-Impact AAP Lessons
Framework
● Grades 3-6
● Grades K-6 ● Same as K-2, but calls out
● Teachers select resources from specific units in each content area
this menu to use with students and is embedded in General
● All Four Core Content Areas Education Planning and Pacing
Guides.
● All Four Core Content Areas
What happens
in the Level IV
Advanced
Academic
Programs
classroom?
Full-Time Level IV Services
Best Practices in Identification
The best identification
practices rely on multiple
criteria …
● multiple types of
information
● multiple sources of
information

considered holistically
nothing is weighted
What’s in a level IV
screening file
Screening File Contents
1. Summary Sheet
6. Ability Test Results
2. Referral Form
7. Additional Optional
3. Gifted Behaviors Test Results
Rating Scale with
8. Student Work
Commentary Samples
4. Progress Reports 9. Awards, letters of
(1 ¼ years) recommendation
5. Parent/Guardian (optional)
Questionnaire
(optional)
Referral Form

Parent/guardians may
submit an Advanced
Academic Programs
Level IV Referral Form
for the full-time program
available in Grades 3-8.

Referral forms are

accepted
9/28/2018 - 01/10/2019
Forms on the AAP Website
Screening File Contents
1. Summary Sheet
6. Ability Test Results
2. Referral Form
7. Additional Test
3. Gifted Behaviors Results (optional)
Rating Scale with
8. Student Work
Commentary Samples
4. Progress Reports 9. Awards, letters of
(1 ¼ years) recommendation
5. Parent/Guardian (optional)
Questionnaire
(optional)
 Gifted Behavior Rating Scale (GBRS)
4 Categories:
Exceptional Ability to Learn
Exceptional Application of Knowledge
Exceptional Creative/Productive Thinking
Exceptional Motivation to Succeed
Changes for the 2018-2019 school year:
● There are no longer number ratings related to the GBRS. This is to focus
attention on the descriptor for how frequently a student exhibits the noted
behaviors and reduce confusion that the categories are directly connected to
the progress report

● The addition of the word “observed” underneath each category word to reflect
that this represents school observations at this time
Screening File Contents
1. Summary Sheet
6. Ability Test Results
2. Referral Form
7. Additional Test
3. Gifted Behaviors Results (optional)
Rating Scale with
8. Student Work
Commentary Samples
4. Progress Reports 9. Awards, letters of
(1 ¼ years) recommendation
5. Parent/Guardian (optional)
Questionnaire
(optional)
Parent Guardian Questionnaire
Parent Guardian Questionnaire:

2e (Twice Exceptional)
Students in Grades K through
12 who demonstrate high
performance ability or
academic potential and who
have a cognitive, physical,
behavioral, or emotional
disability that requires
accommodations in order for
their potential to be realized.
Screening File Contents
1. Summary Sheet
6. Ability Test Results
2. Referral Form
7. Additional Test
3. Gifted Behaviors Results (optional)
Rating Scale with
8. Student Work
Commentary Samples
4. Progress Reports 9. Awards, letters of
(1 ¼ years) recommendation
5. Parent/Guardian (optional)
Questionnaire
(optional)
Ability Testing
FCPS Testing:
• NNAT (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test)
Administered November* of Grade 1
• CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test)
Administered October of Grade 2

➢ Students must have one nationally normed ability test

score on file to be screened for Level IV services.
 FCPS Grade 2 Screening Pool
Parents who want their student screened for level IV services are
encouraged to submit a referral to initiate Level IV screening
without waiting for pool information to be mailed.

● An internal screening pool is established using the Naglieri Nonverbal

Abilities Test (NNAT) from Grade 1 and the FCPS Cognitive Ability
Test (CogAT) Custom Form, Grade 2.
● Parents of students in the second grade screening pool receive a
letter notifying them that their child will be screened for the full-time
advanced academic program. Parents may decline screening.
● The screening pool benchmark is often announced very close to the
referral deadline as test results may not be available. Do not wait for
the screening pool - submit a referral.
● There are not exceptions to the deadline for level IV referrals, even
with extenuating circumstances.
Screening File Contents
1. Summary Sheet
6. Ability Test Results
2. Referral Form
7. Additional Test
3. Gifted Behaviors Results (optional)
Rating Scale with
8. Student Work
Commentary Samples
4. Progress Reports 9. Awards, letters of
(1 ¼ years) recommendation
5. Parent/Guardian (optional)
Questionnaire
(optional)
 Private Ability Tests
•A parent/guardian may seek private testing through a
state-licensed clinical psychologist or through George
Mason University (GMU).
•If GMU is not used, a copy of the clinical psychologist’s
state-license must be included with the test results.

List of Approved Ability Tests

Group Tests Individually Administered Tests

Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale
Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children
Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) (WISC IV, WISC V)
Cognitive Assessment System (CAS)
Kaufman Assessment Battery
Differential Ability Scale (DAS)
Screening File Contents
1. Summary Sheet
6. Ability Test Results
2. Referral Form
7. Additional Test
3. Gifted Behaviors Results (optional)
Rating Scale with
8. Student Work
Commentary Samples
4. Progress Reports 9. Awards, letters of
(1 ¼ years) recommendation
5. Parent/Guardian (optional)
Questionnaire
(optional)
What kind of
work samples are
helpful for
consideration?
Guidelines
Minimum 2 pages submitted by the school
• 1 sample must be the result of:
a) the student working with one of the 9 critical and
creative thinking strategies –OR—
b) the student working with a resource from the AAP
Curriculum Framework for levels II-IV (e.g. Clarion, M3,
Jacob’s Ladder, Document Based Questions)
• The second sample may be:
a) Another work sample related to critical and creative
thinking or problem solving
b) A writing sample
c) A sample showing student strengths
The other four pages of work samples
are submitted by the parent.
Work samples should showcase student strengths in a
variety of subject areas.
Guidelines (continued)
Pages must be single-sided, 8 ½ x 11”.

Pages must be 2-dimensional only; However, a photograph

of a 3D work sample is acceptable.

Multiple pages may be copied to one page as long as it is

large enough to read. Or, a single page from a multi-page
work sample may be included.

Copies or originals are acceptable.

(Work samples will not be returned.)

It is helpful to write a brief sentence or two that highlights

what the committee should notice about the sample
Math Sample from Mentoring Young
Mathematicians (M2): Grade 2
Math Non-Sample
Language Arts: Encapsulation
Language Arts Non-Sample
Social Studies: Johnoglyphics
Social Studies Non-Sample
Other Work Samples: Grade 2
Other Work Samples: Mind Map, Grade 4
Other Work Sample: FOFE
Scranimals Response, Grade 2
What is the timeline
for this process?
Referral Timeline: Spring 2019
For currently enrolled FCPS students in Grades 2-7.

January 10, 2019 Level IV Referral Form and optional

screening materials due to Advanced Academic Resource
Teacher (AART) at attending elementary school.
Reminder: No exceptions to the deadline.
March 2019 Central Selection Committee meets
April 4-5, 2019 Eligibility decisions mailed. No decisions are
shared via phone or email.
April 10-30, 2019 Orientations held at Level IV sites
May 10, 2019 Appeals due to office
Fall 2019 Eligible students in Grades 3-8 may attend full-time
sites beginning first semester
Step 1
Referrals for students in Grades 2-7
are due by January 10 – submit to
McNair’s front office
Second grade parents are notified of screening pool the beginning of January.

Optional materials are due for Pool or

Referral students by January 10
Submit to AART
Step 2
School Based Committee meets to
complete GBRS with Commentary
and assemble screening files
(Jan-Feb 2019)
Central Selection Committee meets
over multiple days to screen about
1,000 files/day (March 2019)
 Step 3
Eligibility decisions are mailed to
families early April 2019

Because of the holistic screening process and volume of

files screened, individual reasons for decisions are not
provided.

If a student is ineligible, directions for appeals are included

in the mailing.
Step 4 Eligibility Letters will
contain:

Orientations for • Date for Level IV

orientation
Eligible Students
• Form for accepting
and placement
Accepting Placement to be returned to
the AAP office

Permission form must be returned by

May 3
 Step 5
Appeals must be postmarked by
May 10, 2019
New information must be provided in an appeal. The original file
will be pulled and considered side-by-side with new information.

Parents submit the appeal directly to the AAP office via U.S. Mail
or a comparable delivery service only.

The local school is not involved in the appeal process.

Step 6
Appeals decisions are
mailed by June 3

The decision of the appeals

committee is final.
 Initiate the Level IV
Referral process by
submitting the Level IV
Referral Form.
January 10 is the
LAST DAY you may
submit the referral -
What is my role in no exceptions to the
deadline!
the process as a
parent/guardian? Collect and submit work
samples that showcase
your child’s thinking.
Look for samples that
Explore the display thinking and
resources on the problem solving
AAP website! processes.
Questions?
 www.fcps.edu

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academic-programs