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7.18 - ECEA 12.00

7.18 - ECEA 12.00

SERIES 7 - EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

  1. Introduction

    Notwithstanding taxonomy and nomenclature used by State and Federal education-related rules and regulations, Liberty Common School finds, declares, and determines:

    “The principal determinants of individual academic success are individual ability and effort. The policies of Liberty (grading, discipline, homework, and teaching) must support the student’s adoption of a personal quest for academic growth using the clearly marked path of expectations in knowledge, skill, and character. The guiding philosophy of Liberty acknowledges that children can and should be held accountable for their own schoolwork and behavior, with the support of teachers and parents.” [LCS Policy | Principle #7 | Adopted February 24, 1997].

    It is self-evident that all students demonstrating the capacity to acquire knowledge at the accelerated pacing of the LCS curriculum, scope, and sequence are in possession of exceptional intellectual gifts. Accordingly, LCS recognizes each successful student enrolled in the institution as being both gifted, and endowed by nature with exceptional academic talents.
     
  2. Policy Statement.

    In accordance with Section 301-8 of the Code of Colorado Regulations, and the 2016 Rules for the Exceptional Children's Educational Act (ECEA), Liberty Common School (LCS) employs this Policy to identify and properly serve its students eligible for ECEA 12.00 services.

    LCS rejects the anti-intellectual traditions that have become so prevalent in American schools, and instead advocates the systemic acquisition of broad knowledge, superior language and active, engaged minds consistent with the idea of “intellectual capital” described by Core Knowledge Foundation founder E.D. Hirsch, Jr. Adhering to this educational philosophy, LCS offers advanced academic opportunities, instructional rigor, and honors-level curriculum to all students.

    LCS’s educational philosophy naturally and especially appeals to families of high-achieving students, resulting in a disproportionally greater population of students with the potential to be identified as exceptional, relative to traditional-public schools in the Poudre School District.

    Due to the uniqueness of LCS’s educational program, and its larger percentage of potentially ECEA 12.00-eligible students, LCS has adapted the prescriptions of C.C.R. 301-8 so that both the educational needs of ECEA 12.00-eligible students are met, and the regulation is honored.

    The adoption and provisions of this Policy are in keeping with this commitment.

    According to the ECEA 12.00(16), a child eligible for ECEA 12.00 services is a person between the ages of four and twenty-one whose aptitude or competence in abilities, talents, and potential for accomplishment in one or more domains are so exceptional or developmentally advance that they require special provisions to meet their educational programming needs. These students include gifted students with disabilities (i.e. twice exceptional) and students from all socio-economic, ethnic, and cultural populations. These students are capable of high performance, exceptional production, or exceptional learning behavior by virtue of any or a combination of the ECEA areas of indication.
     
  3. Scope of Policy.

    This Policy applies to LCS students in grades kindergarten through twelve, and all LCS instructional faculty who can contribute to the identification of students covered under ECEA 12.00.
     
  4. Procedures for Identifying Students covered under ECEA 12.00.

    Liberty Common School’s K-3 curriculum is designed to teach the skills of learning, namely reading, writing, speaking, listening, calculating, problem solving, and exercising critical judgment. These skills are taught through a body of organized knowledge. In subsequent grades, students begin to be taught a greater depth of knowledge, and begin to organize principles and look for relations between things they have learned. The LCS Administration has therefore determined that the procedures for identifying students covered under ECEA 12.00 should begin in the 4th grade. Referrals for students in K-3 will be considered. Qualifying criteria and consideration procedures for K-3 differ from those described below.

    In order to qualify for ECEA 12.00 services, the student needs at least three qualifying indicators that span two different areas of the body of evidence. No two scores may come from the same assessment. Qualifying indicators include scores in the 95th percentile or higher, exceeds expectations on CMAS, or a predetermined score on a qualitative assessment.
  1. Data collection for a body of evidence begins in the 4th grade, and includes assessment results from multiple sources, and multiple types of data. Students with assessment scores in the 95th percentile or higher on a nationally normed test or qualitative data indicating exceptionality will be considered for identification to receive ECEA 12.00 services under these procedures.
     
  2. A student may also be considered for identification to receive ECEA 12.00 services if a teacher or parent recognizes the student is insufficiently challenged by the academically rigorous content and instruction the student is already receiving, and/or a student demonstrates exceptionality in other non-academic areas identified by ECEA 12.00. The teacher or parent alerts LCS Administration of their informed opinion, and LCS Administration shall include the student in consideration procedures.
     
  3. An LCS Student Teacher Assistance Team (STAT), made up of teachers, administrators, and one or more representatives from the Academic Support Team, convenes a meeting to examine the body of evidence for each student being considered. The procedure for determining whether to identify a student to receive ECEA 12.00 services includes a STAT team examination of the following:
  1. Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) scores.
  2. State-mandated assessment (e.g. CMAS) scores or other achievement assessment (e.g. STAR) results.
  3. Grades and grade-point average over two semesters.
  4. Additional teacher input as deemed necessary and appropriate by the STAT.
  1. Upon the examination of the evidence, the STAT will determine whether to proceed with an assessment of cognitive ability/aptitude, such as the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). A student’s parents will sign a Cognitive Test Permission Form indicating their acceptance or refusal of their student taking an assessment of cognitive ability/aptitude.
     
  2. If the STAT has determined a student meets the ECEA 12.00 eligibility criteria, and/or the student scores in the 95th percentile of an assessment of intellectual ability/aptitude, procedures for students determined to be covered under ECEA 12.00 are triggered.
     
  1. Procedures for Students Determined to be Covered Under ECEA 12.00.

    Because of the baseline academic rigor of the educational program at LCS, and the additional opportunities available for exceptional students, the school will work with the eligible student’s parents to determine whether the parents would like their child to receive ECEA 12.00 services.
  1. A meeting with the school’s ECEA 12.00 designee and the parents of the eligible student will occur. The parents will be informed and educated on:
  1. All the academic offerings available to students through the rigorous educational program at LCS. These offerings include:
  1. Individualized enrichment opportunities directed by the classroom teacher(s), in collaboration with the parent, during the student’s daily thirty-minute Extended Learning Opportunity (K-6) or 9th period of the day (7-12).
  2. School-sponsored extracurricular activities.
  3. Advanced math beginning in sixth grade for eligible students.
  4. Honors and high-school level course options in grades 7-12.
  5. Advanced Placement and concurrent-enrollment classes in grades 9- 12.
  1. Their option to receive ECEA 12.00 services, documented through an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP), and how related services will/will not alter the educational opportunities already afforded to their student.
     
  1. After the parents are satisfactorily informed on the extent of LCS’s academic and nonacademic offerings and the potential benefits of an Advanced Learning Plan, they will sign CCR 301-8 Opt-in/Opt-out Form indicating they are either
    1. Satisfied with the School’s ability to challenge their student, absent an Advanced Learning Plan, or
    2. Dissatisfied with the School’s ability to challenge their student, and request an Advanced Learning Plan.
       
  2. Parents of students enrolling in Liberty Common School with an existing ALP will be informed on the extent of LCS’s academic and non-academic offerings and asked to sign a CCR 301-8 Opt-in/Opt-out Form indicating they are either
    1. Satisfied with the School’s ability to academically challenge their student, in lieu of an Advanced Learning Plan, or
    2. Dissatisfied with the School’s ability to academically challenge their student, and request an Advanced Learning Plan.

Definitions

“Advanced Learning Plan” means a written record of an eligible student’s strengths, academic and affective learning goals and the resulting programming utilized with that child and considered in educational planning and decision making [ECEA 12.00(1)].

“Aptitude Test” means an ability test to determine potential or level of performance in problem solving, reasoning and other cognitive functions. Aptitude or ability tests predict potential in an area of program eligibility and /or future academic school success [ECEA 12.00(6)]

“Gifted Children” means those persons between the ages of four and twenty-one whose aptitude or competence in abilities, talents, and potential for accomplishment in one or more domains are so exceptional or developmentally advance that they require special provisions to meet their educational programming needs. Program-eligible students include eligible students with disabilities (i.e. twice exceptional) and students from all socio-economic, ethnic, and cultural populations. Program-eligible students are capable of high performance, exceptional production, or exceptional learning behavior by virtue of any or a combination of the ECEA areas of designation [ECEA 12.00(16)].

“Gifted Education Services” or “Gifted Education Programs” means the services, delivery model and programs provided to eligible students pursuant to the ECEA. Relevant education services and “gifted education programs” include, but need not be limited to, strategies, programming options, and interventions reflecting evidence-based practices, such as acceleration, concurrent enrollment, differentiated instruction, and affective guidance [ECEA 12.00(17)].

Adopted: 03-07-2019
Amended: 02-27-2020