What is the Advanced Academics Review and Referral process?
Students with exceptionalities present or hone their abilities at varying ages. If a parent or teacher identifies that a student is capable of working beyond the current curriculum, they may request that the student is reviewed by the Review and Referral Team.

What is the Review and Referral team?

The Advanced Academics Review and Referral team is a diverse group of staff members including administrators, teachers, special educators, resource, special area, and ESOL staff who review academic data across the entire school and specific students. It is the responsibility of the Review and Referral team to review student data during the Universal Screening process or when an individual student is referred by their parent or teacher.

What is the typical route into Advanced Academics?
Typically, there are two windows of time in the elementary grades where every student is reviewed. At the end of Second Grade and Fifth Grade. See the Universal Screening tab for more information. Outside of this typical route, students may still be individually referred and/or re-reviewed due to new circumstances.

Why would my child enter the Advanced Academics Review and Referral process outside of the typical screening windows?

Either...

Your child is in a primary grade (K-2) and has not gone through the Universal Screening window yet. They present exceptionalities in one or more subject areas, typically demonstrating consistent abilities two to three grade levels above their peers. They have no academic-equivalent peers in their current grade level OR
Your child is in an intermediate (3-5) grade level and...
- is new to BCPS and never had the opportunity to go through Universal Screening and may be reviewed for advanced courses by request OR
- was not previously screened into Advanced Academics during Universal Screening, but is now presenting the knowledge, aptitude, and learning behaviors of their peers in advanced courses

What is the Referral Process?

Any teacher or parent of a child may request that they be reviewed for placement into Advanced courses.

Step 1. Parent-Teacher Communication (Before Referral)
- Task: Review the student's current grades, classwork, and habits together and reasons for consideration of advancement.
- Outcome 1 – Agree to Maintain Current Placement
- Outcome 2 – Joint Referral of Student to Referral Team
- Outcome 3 – Parent Referral Only
Step 2. Parent and/or Teacher Request
- Task: Parent and/or Teacher make a formal written (email) request for a review to the Advanced Academics Coordinator and Facilitator. Review, complete and return all documentation.
Step 3. Review and Referral Team
- Task: Review team reviews received data together.
- Outcome 1 – Advanced Placement Recommendation Made
- Outcome 2 – Continue Current Placement or Monitor Student Progress
Step 4. Parent Notification
- Task: Advanced Academics Coordinator and Facilitator will email the parents and teachers of the student to explain the outcome of the review.
- Outcome 1 – Notification and Parent/Teacher Agreement
- Outcome 2 – Notification and Parent wishes to Appeal

Detailed Description of steps:

Step 1. Parent-Teacher Communication: The parent of the student and the student’s homeroom or subject area teacher must have had a conference prior to submitting a request. It is possible, and often helpful, that the student may also be part of this conversation to some extent. Communication may be made through email, phone, or in person conference. The teacher will review the student’s current grades and data with the parent and explain the student’s aptitudes, traits, and learning behaviors compared to their grade level peers within the classroom and grade level. They will discuss the possibility of maintaining the student's current placement and differentiating to meet their needs. There could possibly be a better classroom placement for the student if another class has similarly able students. If the parent or teacher believe neither routes are viable due to the student's exceptionalities, the next step is to make a request to the Review and Referral Team.
- Outcome 1 – Maintain Current Placement: After a parent/teacher review of grades and data, the parent and teacher decide together that the most appropriate decision is for the student to continue in their current placement, possibly receiving differentiated enrichment work within responsive small groups within their grade level, if the data supports this need
- Outcome 2 – Joint Referral of Student: After a parent/teacher review of grades and data, the parent and teacher agree that the student should be referred to the Advanced Academics Review and Referral Team in order to be accelerated to the next grade level in one or more subjects
- Outcome 3 – Parent Referral: After a parent/teacher review of grades and data, the opinions of the parent and teacher may differ. The parent may choose to continue with the request and the Advanced Academics Review and Referral Team will review their child’s progress
Step 2. Parent and/or Teacher Request: The parent and teacher will submit an email to the Advanced Academics Facilitator with the name of the student and a request for an academic review.
- Documentation: The Advanced Academics Facilitator will respond to both the teacher and parent. Both will be sent the Review and Referral Paperwork that will include current and past grades, data, and surveys. The paperwork will be sent back to the Advanced academics Facilitator for review by the Review and Referral Team.
Step 3. Review and Referral Team: The Advanced Academics Review and Referral Team will meet to review the student's portfolio and requests. Parents will be notified within 30 days of the written request of the process and initial determination.
- Outcome 1 – Advanced Placement Recommendation: The team agrees that the data supports that the student demonstrates advanced potential above and beyond their current peers. The team will determine a recommendation for proper placement and submit the recommendation to the School Administration and then to the Office of Advanced Academics for final approval or denial of the recommendation. All paperwork will be kept in the student’s cumulative folder.
- Outcome 2 – Continue Current Placement and/or Monitor: The team determines that the data does not support acceleration outside of the current placement. The team will submit the data and recommendation for continuance of current placement to the School Administration. All paperwork will be kept in the student’s cumulative folder. The team may consider the teacher continue to monitor the student or complete additional data gathering.
Step 4. Parent Notification: Parents will be formally notified of the Review and Referral Team’s final decision in writing. If the student is accelerated, the outcome of the review will be sent to the Office of Advanced Academics as soon as possible.
- Outcome 1 – Notification and Agreement: Parents are notified and agree with the final decision of the Review and Referral Team.
- Outcome 2 – Notification and Parent Appeal: The parents are notified and disagree with the decision of the Review and Referral Team. If the parent and the school cannot come to an agreement on placement, the parent may submit a request for appeal directly to the Baltimore County Public Schools Coordinator of Advanced Academics. At this point the Office of Advanced Academics will request the data gathered by the school and the review process will continue with their office.

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Advanced Academics

Mays Chapel Advanced Academics

Mays Chapel Elementary
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