Advanced Learning

In alignment with guidance from the  WI Department of Public Instruction and the VASD Equity Framework, VASD seeks to provide services for students that are dynamic, inclusive and responsive.

As part of our commitment to inclusivity, enrichment opportunities are available to all students to provide access to areas of interest for continued growth.
Enrichment opportunities are often embedded in classroom instruction and can include extension opportunities.  Enrichment can also include clubs or other activities.

Examples of enrichment include:

• Concept Quests- All students in Grades 2-5 have access to Concept Quests extension opportunities as part of their Math course.
• Battle of the Books- All 4th and 5th graders are welcome to join this statewide Reading Challenge.
• “Are You Ready for More?”- All 6th-8th grade students have access to “Are You Ready for More?” questions embedded in their core math curriculum.  These questions allow students to extend their learning in applying concepts of the lessons.

VASD is developing systems of supports for students in the following areas of giftedness:

• Specific Academic
• General Intellectual
• Leadership
• Creativity
• Visual & Performing Arts

While we remain committed to supporting students in all domains of giftedness, our Advanced Learning team has begun building identification processes in Specific Academic areas, beginning with Mathematics. 

In order to ensure student needs are being met, the VASD utilizes a Multi-Level System of Support to continually review student needs and work with teachers and families to match those needs with specific supports available.  Supports are on a continuum based on the level of student need and may include differentiated instruction in the classroom or acceleration within subject areas.  
School MLSS teams meet regularly to review student data from a variety of sources including achievement, ability and classroom measures as well as qualitative data.

To ensure all students have access to opportunities to support them to grow in their gifts and talents, beginning in the 24-25 school year, all students in grades 2-5 were able to engage in a universal screener to identify potential gifts and talents. 

Through the use of this data, local norms are developed.  By setting local norms, staff are able to look at how students compare to their grade level peers in VASD, as opposed to nationwide, to determine if a student’s performance may make them an outlier among their peers and may benefit from additional supports. 

Local norms are dependent on the performance of students in each grade level and may change from year to year as the needs of students change.  Additionally, local norms are developed with multiple data sets to ensure responsiveness in the process.  To remain dynamic, these data sets may change over time as assessments shift and more data is collected. 

Example of local norms used for identification of Advanced Learning needs in Mathematics

Students identified as having Advanced Learning needs are matched with supports to ensure their continued growth.  Examples of these supports, specifically in the area of math, may include:

• Cluster Grouping- Students with advanced learning needs in math will be intentionally rostered together with other students with similar data profiles (when available).
• Small Groups- Students with advanced learning needs in math will work together on differentiated opportunities within their math classroom to stretch student thinking and deepen their skillset in our mathematical practices standards.
• Differentiated Instructional Resources- During small group work, students will engage with instructional resources that focus on problem-solving, reasoning, and mathematical communication—supporting growth beyond procedural fluency.
• Course Progression- Students who successfully engage with  instructional extension opportunities may have the opportunity to engage in an accelerated sequence of math coursework in 7th and 8th grade.