The Hillsborough Township School District
REACH Programming Outline
A. Programming Goals and Objectives
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To educate the whole child;
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To identify gifted and talented students;
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To enrich the educational program for all students;
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To develop complex, abstract, and higher level cognitive processes;
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To develop problem-solving and decision-making abilities;
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To develop awareness and acceptance of oneself as a unique individual and as a member of society;
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To increase independence, individuality, and self-direction in learning.
B. Identification of Students
Multiple criteria are used to identify students for inclusion in the pull-out program.
All second graders are screened for program eligibility in the second semester of the school year. For a second-grade student to qualify for the program, the student must demonstrate his or her needs through an ability assessment, standardized achievement assessments, and teachers' observations.
In grades K-8, teachers have the opportunity to nominate students for screening. Students new to the district may be nominated in the fall, while students continuing in the district may be nominated in the spring. For students in these grades, the criteria used to identify students at each grade level align to the program at that grade level. These criteria typically include an ability assessment, standardized achievement assessments, and teachers’ observations.
To participate in the program in grades 5-8, students who are screened must earn exceptional scores on assessments of verbal ability, reading achievement, and/or writing achievement.
Parents will be notified by email of their child's status at the end of the screening process, using the primary email address available in Genesis. Parents will be asked to complete a permission form if their child meets the admissions' criteria for the pull-out program.
C. Program Content
Identified students in grades K-4 experience a thematic approach that offers choice to follow their interests. The skills developed include critical and creative thinking skills as well as decision-making and problem-solving strategies.
At the intermediate and middle schools, the REACH Program integrates each grade level's social studies curriculum with REACH thematic units in classes that replace the student's team social studies class.
The programming in grades K-8 challenges students with instruction that differs in content, processes, pacing, and expectations for student performance from other classrooms.
D. Student Evaluation
Students are continuously evaluated using a variety of formal and informal assessments. Parents are informed of their child's progress on a regular basis throughout the school year.
If a student is not performing satisfactorily in his/her regular classroom due to inclusion in the REACH program or in the REACH Program itself, special monitoring will be utilized to address the situation. If necessary, the student will be exited from the program.