Changes are on the way for students at the division’s two gifted schools.
At its Sept. 5 meeting, the School Board voted to increase the student enrollment capacity and modify the admission process for the consolidated Old Donation Center (ODC) and Kemps Landing Magnet school slated to begin in 2016-17.
When the new building opens, 100 seats will be added to give more students the opportunity to enroll and to help maintain or increase the diversity of the student population in the consolidated gifted elementary and middle school. As part of the plan, the number of seats in the early elementary levels (grades 2-3) will decrease slightly, but a new entry point will be added for 25 additional students in grade 4 and 50 new students in grades six, seven, and eight.
The Board has also approved a staff recommendation which will give fifth-grade ODC students with a “B” average or better the option to skip the traditional application and selection process and move directly into the gifted middle school program. This will remove the redundancy of testing and reapplication for students who are already successful in an accelerated learning environment using gifted curriculum.
It is important to note that the change to the enrollment process won’t take effect until the consolidated ODC/KLMS building opens in 2016-17. Changes in capacity will be phased in beginning with 2nd grade applications in spring 2014.
The consolidated facility will house the gifted programs for students currently at ODC and KLMS, and will include the academic programs, grades 2-8, the gifted visual arts program, grades 3-5, and the dance education program, grades 3-8.The facility is currently in the design phase. A community meeting last April provided an overview of the project to parents and allowed them to offer input on the building design. Construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2014 with a projected completion date of January 2017.
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Where is the construction of the new building? Will it remain in the Independence Area?
Thanks!
The new building will be at the same site of the current ODC building.
I really appreciate your post and you explain each and every point very well.Thanks for sharing this information.And I’ll love to read your next post too.
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Can you please explain how you will add 50 students to each grade level in 6 thru 8? I thought the middle school concept was of team teaching. You need about 100 students or so to add a team? ias the team approach going away? Please explain, thanks.
The additional 50 students at each grade level will be a two teacher team with each teacher instructing in two core subject areas. This configuration is in alignment with the middle school concept with students assigned to the same core teachers working collaboratively to plan curriculum and instruction. The power of this team is that the students will participate in a differentiated curriculum focused on the integration of science, mathematics, engineering, art and technology (STEAM). Teachers will work collaboratively to plan and implement the STEAM curriculum thus making the middle school concept alive and well.
Where will ODC and KLMS students go to school during construction?
Students will continue to study in their respective buildings until the new building is completed.
Is the plan still to have ODC students on ODC property during construction or will the students be going to another site along with KLMS students? If moving, where will it be?