DoDEA supports advanced learners and advanced instruction through the Advanced Academic Program and Services (AAPS) program in grades K - 5, the DoDEA Gifted Education (GE) Program in grades 6 - 12, and The College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) program in grades 9 - 12.
The PAC East District has positively impacted advanced learning as evidenced by the AAPS program:
Being completely overhauled with a new Administrative Instruction (AI) and program implementation guide in 2019. The new program has moved away from a binary “in or out” of the program and instead serves all students through a Levels of Service model to provide appropriate advanced academic support to each student as needed and to develop the potential for advanced academics in all students.
The AAPS program is based on the National Association of Gifted Children’s (NAGC) national programming standards which were adopted by DoDEA as the CCRSGE standards which brought the program up to current best practice for gifted programming. The NAGC standards strands are:
Learning and Development
Assessment
Curriculum Planning and Instruction
Learning Environments
Programming
Professional Development
Adopting the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) as an aptitude assessment that is used during referrals for more intense levels of service. The CogAT is also given to all second grade DoDEA students as a screener to help find students who might need advanced academic support. The use of the screener has increased the number of students who receive higher levels of service in our schools and the Levels of Service model has created access to advanced academics and working with the AAPS Resource Teacher (AAPS RT) for all students.
Focusing on supporting more advanced learners by providing services to many students on an as needed basis without the requirement of a referral.
Supporting grade-level teachers with advanced differentiation content extensions for advanced learning in the classroom setting on a regular basis instead of through infrequent, disconnected pull out sessions.
Increasing the AAPS RT manpower ratio to better serve teachers and advanced learners in schools from one AAPS RT per school regardless of size to one AAPS RT per 600 K - 5 students in a school.
The Pacific East has positively impacted advanced learning at the secondary level through the Advanced Placement program as evidenced by:
2,381 students enrolled in 22 courses took 4,086 exams in SY 17 - 18 to SY 20-21
Course enrollment and exam scores have both risen during that period
Each AP teacher is supported by a district content ISS and is certified by attending a College Board approved training
AP courses offered in the PAC East District are:
2-D Art and Design
3-D Art and Design
Biology
Calculus AB
Calculus BC
Chemistry
Comparative Government and Politics
Computer Science A
Computer Science Principles
Drawing
English Language and Composition
English Literature and Composition
Environmental Science
Human Geography
Japanese Language
Macro Economics
Physics 1
Physics C: Mechanics
Psychology
Spanish Language
Statistics
US Government and Politics
US History
World History: Modern
AAPS - Began the process of revising the 2006 DoDEA Gifted Education Program for elementary grades K - 12
Reviewed independent program evaluation data from 2013 and 2015
Reviewed current state of the DoDEA GE program
Convened an Elementary Gifted Education Work Group meeting with Instructional Systems Specialists (ISSs) and GE teachers to build a new program framework
Determined a three phase in timeline with feedback from teachers at the end of phase one and two
Completed a draft of a new GE program
Advanced Placement
Provided schools and district with AP Exam data analysis, program guidance, and next steps
Supported AP teacher planning with an early return day
Funded 11 PAC East teachers to attend AP Summer Institute training for certification or updated course training
AAPS - Phase 1 implementation of the new GE program
Nine DoDEA schools were selected to try out the new program, one in the Pacific East District
Provided four, 90-minute training sessions for all GE teachers about the major shifts in the new program
Adopted and began using a new aptitude assessment in Phase 1 schools
Adopted and began using a new screening assessment for all 2nd grade students in Phase 1 schools
Draft program revised based on Phase 1 teacher input
Advanced Placement
Provided schools and district with AP Exam data analysis, program guidance, and next steps
Supported teachers use of AP Exam data in their instructional planning through two days of blended in-person/virtual training across the Pacific Region
Funded 9 teachers to attend AP Summer Institute training for certification or updated course training
AAPS - Phase 2 Implementation
Adopted National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) national programming standards as the DoDEA CCRSGE
Six elementary schools volunteered as Phase 2 Implementation schools
Eleven full-day training sessions were provided for the seven Phase 1 and 2 schools to support program implementation
Eight 90-minute training sessions were provided for the remaining schools to prepare for Phase 3 implementation
New aptitude test and second grade screener implemented in all schools
Onsite monitoring of Phase 1 schools
Feedback solicited from Phase 1 and 2 schools to drive revisions of the program
New AAPS policy and program guide finalized
Advanced Placement
Provided schools and district with AP Exam data analysis, program guidance, and next steps
Supported teachers use of AP Exam data in their instructional planning through two days of virtual training across the Pacific Region
Funded 12 teachers to attend AP Summer Institute training for certification or updated course training
Organized a live certification and updated training session for all AP US Government and Politics and AP Comparative Government and Politics teachers and secondary Social Studies ISS
AAPS - Phase 3 Implementation
All remaining elementary schools implemented the new program
Provided 10 full-day training sessions for all AAPS Resource Teachers (RTs) to support implementation of new program
Converted record-keeping system to the electronic Aspen platform
Advanced Placement
Provided schools and district with AP Exam data analysis, program guidance, and next steps
Funded 14 teachers and district ISSs to attend AP Summer Institute training for certification or updated course training
AAPS Program
Four full-day training sessions provided to support implementation of the new program
Supported virtual school with advanced academics
Developed online resource platform with advanced learning resources for grade level teachers to support virtual and in-person learning with Covid mitigation distancing
Advanced Placement
Provided schools and district with AP Exam data analysis, program guidance, and next steps
Funded 12 teachers to attend AP Summer Institute training for certification or updated course training
AAPS Program Development
AP Course Enrollment and Exams
The AAPS program Administrative Instruction provides the policy for the Advanced Academic Program and Services program.
The Advanced Academic Program and Services Implementation Guide 2019 provides specific information about the program and how it should be implemented in schools.
Advanced Academic Program and Services Implementation Guide 2019
The Training Overview outlines the training and support that has been provided to AAPS RTs to learn about and implement the program.
AAPS Training Overview by School Year and Implementation Phase
Sample AAPS Training Agendas:
November 2019 Using CogAT Results to Inform Instruction and Identification Tools Best Practice
January 2019 Level of Service Determination, Level of Service 2, Quarterly Reporting
The PAC East District follows The College Board Advanced Placement Program course structure and guidelines:
During SYs 2017-18 and 2018-19, AP teachers, ISSs, and administrators participated in training to use their AP score report and Instructional Planning Report data to inform their instruction for the upcoming year.
Sample Documents from training sessions:
IPR Analysis Tool (aggregated for the district)