High Ability Program

Indiana Code Rule 511

A student with high abilities (HA) as defined by Indiana Code Rule 511 as a student who:

• performs at, or shows the potential for performing at, an outstanding level of accomplishment in at least one domain when compared to other students of the same age, experience, or environment; and
• is characterized by exceptional gifts, talents, motivation, or interests.

Students with high ability can be further described as General Intellectual (GT) or Specific Academic (Language-HA or Math-HA).

Richmond Community Schools prepares teachers to meet the educational needs of our high ability students with a variety of programs.

Briefly stated, our charge in serving our high ability students is:

To engage and challenge high ability learners to reach their full intellectual, social and emotional, and creative potential.

More specifically, RCS celebrates that some students perform or have the aptitude to perform with learning rates or capacities that are exceptional in language arts, mathematics, and general studies when compared to their classmates; these students are found among all the socio-economic, ethnic, and cultural groups that make up our diverse community. RCS will maintain an ongoing process to identify these high ability students.

Our schools, in partnership with our community, will provide a range of services to engage and challenge our high ability students with appropriate learning experiences that also support their development as critical thinkers and creative producers. This range of services will include support for the social and emotional needs that are unique to exceptional learners.

Providing appropriate curriculum and instruction for our high ability students is an expectation for every RCS elementary and middle school, as well as for our high school. This charge requires a district-level commitment to provide supportive professional development for the teachers who serve these students.

RCS identifies high ability students who perform or have the aptitude to perform with exceptional learning rates and/or learning capacities in language arts (LA Aspire), mathematics (MA Aspire), or general studies (Logos), when compared to other students of similar age, environment, or experiences. These students are represented in every socio-economic, ethnic, and cultural group in our diverse community, and they require differentiated classroom curriculum and instruction to meet their educational needs.

A variety of assessments, including classroom benchmarks, standardized achievement tests, cognitive assessments, and behavioral checklists are used to identify students for high ability services and also to determine appropriate instructional responses to their needs.

The Richmond Community Schools program serving High Ability students provides each student with services to meet individual educational needs.

Our student centered HA goals include:

• Foster inquiry and a disposition toward life long learning.
• Support the growth of high ability students into informed, reflective, creative, productive, and compassionate human beings.
• Prepare high ability students for responsible and active citizenship in their communities.

Our district programming HA goals include:

• Provide a range of services to respond to diverse high ability learner needs with appropriately modified instruction.
• Ensure equitable and appropriate placements in service through an evolving identification process.
• Develop support strategies for non-modal students, including curriculum and instruction modifications and mentoring relationships.
• Plan effective professional development to support both general and high ability teachers as they respond to the academic and social-emotional needs of high ability learners.
• Provide consistent and timely communication with stakeholders and our community-at-large regarding high ability identification and services.