Middle School Honors & 8th Grade High School Course Offerings
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Screening
All students are screened for enrollment in honors courses. See the High Ability Identification section of this document for information on our multifaceted assessment plan to identify students for high-ability services.
Recommendation Process to enroll in Honors Classes
The following criteria are considered for enrollment in…
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6th grade honors courses:
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High Ability Identification (in the course subject or in general intellect)
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Standardized test scores from state assessments, NWEA, and CogAT
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and Teacher Recommendations
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7th & 8th grade Honors Courses:
- Teacher Recommendation for continuation and removal from the program
- Grades
- Standardized test scores from state assessments, NWEA
Students do NOT have to be identified as High Ability in order to be recommended for enrollment in an honors class. School administration uses a matrix to review the criteria to help determine students to recommend for enrollment in honors courses. Each spring, all students are included in the review for recommendation for honors courses for the next school year.
For students who will enter 6th grade in the fall, course recommendation letters are sent to all families in early June. Students entering 7th and 8th grade in the fall, who are recommended to move up to an honors course are contacted in late spring and summer. Center Grove invites students who will move up a level in math to a Summer Ramp-Up course to support the student in the transition. An appeal process is provided to parents who wish for their child to be reconsidered for enrollment in an honors course.
"New to Center Grove" Middle School Students
Students who are new to Center Grove will be enrolled in grade level courses.
Students who were previously enrolled in honors courses in another district or who were identified as high ability in another district may be considered for high ability identification and/or honors course enrollment in Center Grove.
- Middle school students who are new to Center Grove who wish to be considered for high ability identification may provide comparable test data to the Center Grove High Ability Coordinator for review.
- Middle school students who are new to Center Grove who wish to be considered for enrollment in an honors course may make this request to the building principal who will review available student performance data provided by the family and space in the requested course(s). If a student is enrolled in an honors course, a review of the student’s performance will occur at the end of each nine weeks to determine if the enrollment is appropriate.
Probation and Discontinuation
If a student earns less than a C+ (77%) on a first semester report card the following steps will be taken:
- The student will be placed on probation and the following will occur:
- The student will meet with an assigned school staff member (ex. teacher, team, etc.) to review their course progress monthly.
- Parents will be contacted with updates throughout the second semester.
- If the student is identified as high ability in the subject area, the CG High Ability Coordinator will be notified of the student’s probation.
- The student will be notified that if improvement does not occur by the second semester report card that he/she will be moved down a course level at the start of the following school year.
If a student earns less than a C+ (77%) on a second semester report card the following steps will be taken:
- Regardless of the first semester grade, the school counselor will collaborate with the middle school principal, team teacher, parent, and CG High Ability Coordinator (if the student is identified as high ability) to determine the best course placement for the student in the next school year.
- If there are factors beyond the low second semester grade that clearly indicate the student is not well matched to staying the current honors level, they may decide to place the student down a course level at the start of the following school year.
- Or, they may decide to place the student on probation during the first semester of the next school year. If the student is placed on probation the following will occur:
- The student will meet with an assigned school staff member (ex: teacher, team, etc.) to review their course progress monthly.
- Parents will be contacted with updates throughout the semester.
- If the student is identified as high ability in the subject area, the CG High Ability Coordinator will be notified of the student's probation.
- The student will be notified that their probation will continue during the second semester unless their first semester grade is a C+ (77%) or higher.
Concerns throughout the school year:
- In some situations, it may be appropriate to make a course change at times other than at the start of the school year. Parents, teachers, or students who have concerns about waiting until the start of the next school year to move down a course level may contact the school counselor to discuss their concerns.
- The school counselor will determine whether or not the request should move on to be considered by the Assistant Principal (and High Ability Coordinator, if the student is high ability.)
- The student, parent, teacher, school administrator, or central office administrator reserves the right to request a student be removed from an honors course at other times of the year (ex. at the start of the second nine weeks or the start of the second semester).
- When this happens the Assistant Principal (and High Ability Coordinator, if the student is high ability) will review the request to determine if removal is appropriate. Additional High School parameters may apply for high school courses.
- Please note that course level changes are not made during the second semester.
High Ability Identification
The High Ability Identification Process includes a multifaceted assessment plan to identify students for high-ability services and occurs during pathway years in Center Grove. Grades K, 2, 5, and 8 are designated as pathway years. In these years, all students are considered for identification. A parent may request that their high school student be considered for services through the CGCSC referral process (High Ability Referral Form). The referral will be reviewed by the High Ability Coordinator and the Identification Team for a final decision. Details on the full identification process is available on the Center Grove website (See High Ability Identification and Placement).
Please note that enrollment in Middle School and High School Honors Courses is not limited to students who have been identified as High Ability students.
Middle School to High School Placement
Frequently Asked Questions
How do middle school honors classes impact high school classes?
The primary difference is in the area of math. Students in 6th grade Honors Pre-Algebra typically take high school Honors Algebra I in eighth grade, while students enrolled in 6th grade Honors Math typically take Honors Algebra I in ninth grade.
Will a student who takes middle school Honors classes during the middle school years automatically qualify for Honors or Advanced Placement classes at the high school?
No. Students are recommended by a review committee for placement in high school honors classes. However, students may also self-select and enroll in honors or Advanced Placement courses. Our experience has taught us that students can be very successful in advanced courses if they are motivated to work hard.
Will middle school students who do not take honors classes be excluded from Honors and Advanced Placement courses in high school?
No. The above answer pertains to this question as well.