Advanced Learning

We use a MTSS model to provide enrichment for students who have been identified as needing additional challenge above and beyond the enrichment typically offered in Tier 1. This enrichment will typically be provided by an advanced learning specialist. To learn more about this model and District 25’s Multi-Tiered System of Support, please visit the MTSS website.

*All Advanced Language Arts placement decisions will be communicated to parents in late Spring. Any requests for early notice will not be honored.*

Advanced Language Arts Philosophy

In Arlington Heights District 25, students are typically placed in grade-level language arts.  Grade level language arts means students receive grade-level instruction aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards.  Students ready for instruction taught faster and in greater depth than grade-level language arts are placed in Advanced Language Arts.  In Arlington Heights District 25, placement in Advanced Language Arts begins in sixth grade.

Advanced Language Arts Placement

All fifth through seventh grade students are considered for placement into Advanced Language Arts in the spring of each school year. The Department of Student Learning reviews the scores from the NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Reading Assessment and Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Verbal Assessment to determine the students who will be considered for Advanced Language Arts.

Advanced Language Arts Placement Criteria

The Department of Student Learning recently initiated a review of the district’s advanced placement process with the goal of reflecting on identification criteria and the extent to which current advanced learning opportunities meet the existing needs of students. The District consulted with Partners in Advanced Education, Inc. (PIAE), specifically Scott J. Peters, Ph.D. A former Professor of Assessment and Research Methodology at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Dr. Peters is currently a Senior Research Scientist with NWEA. His research focuses on educational assessment; identification of student exceptionalities, particularly those from low-income or underrepresented groups; and gifted and talented programming outcomes.

Dr. Peters analyzed district data, met with multiple stakeholder focus groups, reviewed existing advanced learning opportunities and identification processes, and presented his findings and recommendations in the following report.  Additionally, he presented to the Board of Education on September 26, 2023. To view the presentation portion of the meeting, click here.

Advanced Language Arts class placement (grades 6-8) is determined by evaluating two district standardized assessments. These are as follows:

NWEA MAP Reading Score

Arlington Heights District 25 will use the fall, winter, and spring administration of NWEA MAP as a universal screener. The highest of the three scores for the current school year is one part of the placement criteria.

CogAT Verbal Score

Arlington Heights District 25 administers the CogAT Verbal Assessment in the fall to all fifth-grade students as a universal screener. CogAT Verbal will also be administered to students new to the district in sixth or seventh grade. The CogAT Verbal score is the second part of the placement criteria.

Based on the scores of the two assessments described above, two different opportunities exist to qualify for Advanced Language Arts. One opportunity uses the national norms, and the other uses the local norms for these assessments. MAP Reading and CogAT Verbal scores are combined to create an average. The criteria to qualify for Advanced Language Arts is highlighted below:

• Using national norms, the average of the two assessments must fall at or above the 95th percentile.  OR

• Using local norms, the average of the two assessments must fall at or above the 90th percentile (or the top 10%) of each grade level.

If you have any questions that need answering, please refer to this Advanced Placement Process FAQ.  If this FAQ does not answer your question, please contact the Director of Student Learning, Andrea Luessow at aluessow@sd25.org.

District 25 has identified early entrance to kindergarten and early entrance to first grade as whole-grade acceleration, appropriate for those students who are intellectually and socially advanced. To be considered for early entrance, students must demonstrate advanced cognitive, academic, functional, and social-emotional characteristics. District 25 utilizes a systematic process that includes reviewing records, standardized assessments, and other components for determination. Typically, a small portion of students who participate in the process meet the criteria to enter kindergarten or first grade early.

Click Here for additional information about early entrance to kindergarten and early entrance to first grade.

For more information about registering for District 25, see the registration page of our website. Consideration for Advanced Math (grades 4-8) and Advanced Language Arts(grades 6-8) courses will be given after October 15th of each school year to allow teachers time to understand their students’ needs as learners and complete beginning-of-the-year assessments. The same assessment data used in the process for placement described above will be used for new students. 

In rare circumstances, a student's needs may best be met at the next grade level of instruction. The process for considering a student for single-subject acceleration begins with the student's classroom teacher and differentiated instruction. Consideration for single-subject acceleration will be given after October 15th of each school year to allow teachers time to understand their students’ needs as learners, complete beginning-of-the-year assessments, review units of instruction focused on the previous grade curriculum, introduce new content, and identify and provide differentiation opportunities to students. The final date for a student to be considered for single subject acceleration will be March 1st of each school year, so all necessary data collection and discussion can occur before the school year ends.

There are many ways to modify the curriculum for advanced learners, including enrichment, cooperative learning, curriculum compacting, and differentiated instruction. In rare cases, a student's needs may best be met at the next grade level or higher in all subjects through whole-grade acceleration or what is commonly known as grade skipping. Because whole-grade acceleration is a complex and important determination, District 25 uses the established guidelines in the Iowa Acceleration Scale. The process for considering a student for whole-grade acceleration begins with the student's classroom teacher and differentiated instruction. Consideration for whole-grade acceleration will be given after October 15th of each school year to allow teachers time to understand their students’ needs as learners, complete beginning-of-the-year assessments, review units of instruction focused on the previous grade curriculum, introduce new content, and identify and provide differentiation opportunities to students. The final date for a student to be considered for single subject acceleration will be March 1st of each school year, so all necessary data collection and discussion can occur before the school year ends.