Advanced Learner Program Guidelines

Definition of Advanced Learners

Westchester Public Schools District 92½ defines advanced learners as students who perform, or demonstrate the potential to perform, at high levels of academic achievement compared to others of the same age, experience, and educational environment in one or more academic areas.

These learners require intentional modifications to their educational experiences, including enrichment, advanced programming, and/or acceleration, in order to remain appropriately challenged, continue to grow, and realize their academic potential.

I. Program Purpose

Westchester Public Schools District 92½ is committed to providing equitable access to appropriately challenging instruction for students who demonstrate advanced academic readiness or exceptional potential. Enrichment, advanced programming, and accelerated math placements are designed to support students through multiple measures, ensuring placement decisions are data-informed, developmentally appropriate, and reviewed annually.

II. Guiding Principles

• All students are reviewed annually for appropriate placement.

• Placements are based on multiple data points, not a single assessment.

• No single measure guarantees placement.

• Placement is flexible and subject to review based on student performance and well-being. 

III. Program Design 

The Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Framework is the basis for the district’s programming for advanced learners. In a traditional MTSS model, interventions are used for students who need additional support to meet grade-level standards. In a more modern approach to MTSS, the district also provides targeted instruction to students showing advanced learning needs. 

Traditional MTSS Triangle vs. Modern MTSS Diamond 

The MTSS tiers of instruction for advanced learners include: 

• Tier 1: Universal instruction with differentiation 

• Tier 2+: Targeted, supplemental, or replacement instruction 

• Tier 3+: Intensive instruction 

These tiers of instruction are intentionally designed to provide students with rigor and challenge throughout their time in Westchester SD 92.5 and to prepare them for advanced courses at the high school level. 

For information on MTSS for students needing additional support, please visit https://sites.google.com/sd925.org/92-5-curriculum/mtss

Westchester SD 92.5 utilizes two programming models for advanced learners: cluster grouping (Tier 2) and Math Acceleration (Tier 3).

IV. IDENTIFICATION AND PLACEMENT

TIER 1 

Universal Instruction with Differentiation 

All kindergarten through 8th-grade students in Westchester School District 92.5 receive Tier 1 universal instruction. Tier 1 instruction includes the use of rigorous curriculum programs to teach the State of Illinois grade-level standards in core content areas. 

In addition, all students receive differentiated instruction aligned with grade-level standards in both whole-group and small-group lessons. For advanced learners, this can include: 

• Curriculum embedded suggestions for enrichment within daily lessons 

• Use of tiered problem sets 

• Questioning techniques 

• Grouping strategies 

• Tiered learning centers 

• Text levels 

• Application of concepts in different ways 

Differentiation for advanced learners is flexible and fluid throughout a unit of instruction. Teachers use formative assessments, such as exit tickets and observations, to determine a student’s readiness for advanced, differentiated instruction during classroom lessons. In addition, teachers may also utilize data from unit, benchmark, and state assessments. All core content teachers have received professional learning on differentiation.

Tier 2+ 

Cluster Grouping

Tier 2+ is designed to provide extension of universal instruction through additional depth and complexity of the standards. Total School Cluster Grouping is implemented in grades 1-8 in Westchester SD 92.5. 

Total School Cluster Grouping is a practice in which small clusters of students with similar achievement levels are placed together in mixed-ability classrooms. With this model, advanced learners can regularly interact with both their intellectual peers and their same-age peers. Advanced learners work together with their teacher on rigorous in-lesson activities while still being part of the grade-level classroom communities. Students can be placed in an advanced learning cluster for ELA, Math, or both. 

For K-5, students will also work with peers of similar ability during WIN time. These groups will be flexible and fluid, with ongoing adjustments made throughout the year.

TIER 3+ 

Intensive Instruction 

Tier 3+ is the most intense level of programming for advanced learners. This tier is the district’s Accelerated Placement Program as outlined in the Illinois Accelerated Placement Act. This act allows Illinois public school districts to offer early entrance to kindergarten and first grade and to provide grade acceleration across all grades. This process is reserved for students who demonstrate highly advanced skills but do not meet the District’s regular age requirements for the desired grade. 

The Accelerated Placement Program includes: 

• Early Entrance to Kindergarten 

• Early Entrance to 1st Grade 

• Single Subject Acceleration in Math 

• Students attend an above-grade-level classroom for instruction 

• Whole Grade Level Acceleration 

Single Subject Acceleration in Math Requirements:

High School Credit Opportunity (Grades 7–8)

We are excited to partner with Proviso Township High School District 209 to offer eligible middle school students the opportunity to earn high school credit. 

Students in grades 7 or 8 who:

• Qualify for Integrated Math I or Integrated Math II

• Qualify for 7th AND 8th grade Spanish

• Successfully complete all course requirements, including final examinations

• Earn a grade of C or better each semester

Will:

• Earn official high school academic credit

• Meet Illinois School Code graduation requirements

Students who meet these requirements will receive credit for completing a qualifying regular-level high school course and will be placed in the next sequential course within the curriculum.

Additional important information:

• High school credits earned during middle school will appear on the student’s high school transcript

• These credits will not be included in the student’s high school grade point average (GPA)

• Students who earn credit for a high school–level course in middle school may not earn additional credit for the same or an equivalent course once enrolled in high school

*If a student enrolls in a high school other than Proviso Township High School District 209, placement within the subsequent course sequence may also consider performance on a placement assessment, when applicable, to ensure appropriate instructional alignment and support continued academic success.

V. Student Support, Monitoring, and Review Procedures

Westchester Public Schools District 92½ recognizes that placement in advanced programming or acceleration requires ongoing monitoring to ensure both academic success and social-emotional well-being. Placement decisions are not permanent and are reviewed regularly to ensure continued appropriateness.

Ongoing Progress Monitoring

Students participating in Cluster Grouping (Tier 2+) and Accelerated Placement (Tier 3+) will be monitored through:

• Classroom formative and summative assessments

• NWEA MAP benchmark data

• Curriculum-based measures

• Report card grades

• Teacher observations

• Student self-reflection

• Social-emotional indicators

Teachers will regularly review student performance to ensure the level of rigor remains appropriate and that students demonstrate sustained readiness for advanced instruction.

Support Plan:

If data indicates that a student:

• Is not demonstrating mastery at the accelerated level

• Is experiencing significant academic stress

• Is showing social-emotional concerns related to placement

• Is no longer benefiting from the current level of challenge

A review meeting will be scheduled with the parent/guardian, teacher(s), and administration to determine next steps.

Possible outcomes may include:

• Continued placement with additional supports

• Implementation of an Academic Support Plan

• Adjustment of pacing within the current setting

• Return to grade-level instruction

Decisions will be based on multiple data points and made in collaboration with families.

Academic Support Plan (If Needed)

If a student requires additional support while participating in advanced programming, a short-term support plan may include:

• Targeted skill reinforcement during WIN or intervention time

• Scheduled check-ins with a teacher or administrator

• Organizational and executive functioning support

• Adjusted workload expectations

• Peer collaboration opportunities

• Access to Homework Club or academic support sessions

The goal of support is not to remove challenges, but to provide scaffolds that help students thrive in rigorous settings.

Equity Commitment

Westchester Public Schools District 92½ is committed to equitable access to advanced programming. The district annually reviews demographic data, representation trends, and placement outcomes to ensure fair and inclusive identification practices.