Dear Parents/Guardians:
Below is a brief overview of the Port Washington School District’s Port Enrichment Program (PEP) for elementary students. PEP is designed to provide enrichment activities to all our students in Grades K through 5. This enrichment program consists of two components:
Component I: Whole Class Enrichment: Grades K-5
A PEP teacher pushes into the kindergarten, first, second, third, fourth and fifth grade classrooms to provide enrichment activities planned collaboratively with classroom teachers in each school. Many of the lessons implemented include literacy, math, science, engineering, and critical, logical and creative thinking. These whole-class units of study occur throughout the year at each elementary school classroom.
Component II: PEP Core Group: Grades 4-6 (Students meeting the district-wide criteria). Students identified using the district screening process (see below) are placed in a PEP core group. Starting in Grade 4, students in this PEP Core Group participate in the pull-out portion of PEP. The PEP Core Group instruction continues through sixth grade. Students may join a PEP core group at any time they meet the district criteria.
Initial Screening Process
In grade three, all students are evaluated using the following criteria:
- Standardized Abilities Assessment: This assessment is administered to all third-grade students as part of a whole class enrichment Please be advised that all third graders will complete this test using the online version. This will enable us to obtain and analyze student scores more expediently.
- Student Evaluation Scale, Grade 2: Second grade teachers complete a Student Evaluation Scale for each of their students in the The evaluation is comprised of descriptors that identify children who demonstrate characteristics of giftedness.
- Student Evaluation Scale, Grade 3: Third grade teachers complete a Student Evaluation Scale for each of their students in the spring.
Final Screening Step: IQ Test
An individual IQ test is given to students who attain two or more qualifying scores from the above three criteria. Qualifying scores on the IQ tests are:
- a Verbal IQ of 130 or higher
- a Fluid Reasoning IQ of 130 or higher
- a Full-Scale IQ or General Ability Index IQ of 130 or higher
PEP Pilot Program
Please note that we are continuing the pilot program that began last year. As part of the Pilot Program, all 3rd Grade Students are administered the following assessments, each taking approximately 35 minutes:
- Non-verbal
- Verbal (new for students)
- Quantitative (new for students)
The administration of this suite of assessments produces 3 individual scores plus a composite score—producing four data points. Since these are administered in groups, the process is actually streamlined compared to the current individually administered IQ tests. Pilot results will be compared to our traditional model for identifying core group students before determining next steps.
Notification
You will be notified by mail if your child has two or more qualifying scores and will be asked to sign a consent form for Individual IQ testing. Students who attain four criteria, one of which must be an IQ score of 130 or higher, qualify to be in a core group. Upon completion of the IQ tests, parents will be notified in writing as to whether or not their child qualifies for the core group. Evaluation to enter the core group continues in grades 4-6 and students may enter the core group whenever they meet the selection criteria.
An automatic review process will take place when a student who is tested for the core group does not meet the district criteria. The review process only applies to students who attain an IQ score of 125 or higher in one or more of the following areas: Verbal IQ, Fluid Reasoning IQ, General Ability Index (or Nonmotor General Ability if virtual) IQ, and/or Full-Scale IQ.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact your building principal or visit the district’s PEP page directly through https://bit.ly/3y49n8W
You can learn more about the PEP program through the presentation that was given to the BOE Curriculum Committee last year. You can find that presentation through this link: https://bit.ly/3ZzCpce