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Gifted Education
Program of Accelerated Curriculum & Enrichment
(PACE)
ELEMENTARY PACE PROGRAM, Grades 3 – 5
The goal of the PACE Program is to meet the unique needs of intellectually and academically gifted students. Using State of Illinois guidelines and District 200 criteria, students are identified to participate in the PACE Program, which offers daily instruction in mathematics and/or reading to students in grades three, four, and five.
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PACE Math Program
The PACE math program is academically rigorous and includes compacting grade-level concepts as well as providing math enrichment and acceleration. The curriculum consists of several strands that are aligned with the Illinois State Standards and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards:
- Algebra
- Data, Statistics and Probability
- Geometry
- Measurement
- Numbers and Operations
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PACE Reading Program
The PACE reading program is academically rigorous and includes compacting grade-level concepts as well as providing enrichment and acceleration. A special emphasis is placed on critical and creative thinking. A list of core novels for each grade level/theme may be obtained from the PACE Office and each school’s PACE specialist. The curriculum is aligned to the Illinois State Standards and the National Council of Teachers of English standards. |
Elementary PACE Program Identification Process
The process used for identifying students eligible for the PACE math and/or PACE reading programs includes a Level I Screening and Level II Selection. Students may test only once for each school year. New students should contact the PACE Office for testing information, including the testing schedule throughout the school year.
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Level I Screening
Parents may recommend their children be tested for the PACE Program by contacting the District 200 PACE Office and completing the Parent Referral Forms. Parent and/or Teacher recommendation identify the students invited to test for the PACE Program. |
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Level II Selection
The students who are identified through Level I Screening will have a student profile form completed by his/her classroom teacher and are administered the following tests:
PACE Math
- Mathematics Subtest of the Comprehensive Testing Program 4
* an at-level achievement test that could cover the following areas depending on grade level: number sense, operations with whole numbers, geometry and spatial sense, measurement, data analysis, statistics, probability, patterns, functions and pre-algebra
- Quantitative Battery of the Cognitive Abilities Test
* an above-level aptitude test covering the following areas: quantitative relations, number series and equation building
- Nonverbal Battery of the Cognitive Abilities Test
* an above-level aptitude test covering the following areas: figure classification, figure analogies and figure analysis
PACE Reading
- Reading Comprehension Subtest of the Comprehensive Testing Program 4
* an at-level achievement test that could cover the following areas depending on grade level: explicit information, inference, analysis, reading comprehension and vocabulary in context
- Verbal Battery of the Cognitive Abilities Test
* an above-level aptitude test covering the following areas: verbal classification, sentence completion and verbal analogies
- Verbal Reasoning Subtest of the Comprehensive Testing Program 4 (not available for students testing for participation in 3rd grade)
* an at-level achievement test covering the following areas: analogical reasoning, categorical reasoning and logical reasoning
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For both PACE Math and Reading, students served by the ELL Program are also administered the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, an at-level aptitude test utilizing shapes and designs that are not unique to any cultural group.
All PACE Testing is unique to District 200 and therefore ONLY District 200 tests will be used as qualifiers for the PACE Program. NO outside testing will be accepted for this purpose.
A professional committee reviews information from Level II Selection. This committee will recommend students for participation if they qualify through this process. ONLY the Identification Committee is authorized to place students in the PACE Program.
All parents will receive a letter with their student’s test results. Students who qualify for the PACE Program must have parent consent to participate in the program. Students do not need to retest for the program from year to year once they have qualified unless they discontinue participation in our program for a school year. Students may test for the program only once for each school year. There is an Appeal Process following each round of testing for students who do not qualify for the program but whose test results do not reflect their capability. Please contact the PACE Office for more information on the Appeal Process.
MIDDLE SCHOOL PACE PROGRAM, Grades 6 – 8
The goal of the PACE Program is to meet the unique needs of intellectually and academically gifted students. Using State of Illinois guidelines and District 200 criteria, students are identified to participate in the PACE Program, which offers daily instruction in mathematics and/or language arts to students in grades six, seven and eight.
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Fast Paced Mathematics
Students identified for participation in Fast Paced Math will take Pre-Algebra in 6th grade, Algebra I in 7th grade and Geometry in 8th grade. The classes meet at each middle school and fulfill a student’s daily math requirement. The curriculum is aligned to the Illinois State Standards and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards. The critical content for Algebra I and Geometry are the same as the high school level course offerings; however high school credit is not given for these classes. |
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Fast Paced Language Arts
Students identified for participation in Fast Paced Language Arts classes will meet at each middle school and fulfill a student’s daily language arts requirement. The program is academically rigorous and includes compacting grade-level concepts as well as providing enrichment and acceleration. A special emphasis is placed on critical and creative thinking. A list of core novels for each grade level may be obtained from the PACE Office or each middle school’s FPLA teacher. The curriculum is aligned to the Illinois State Standards and the National Council of Teachers of English standards. |
Middle School PACE Program Identification Process
The process used for identifying students eligible for the Fast Paced Math and Fast Paced Language Arts programs includes a Level I Screening and Level II Selection. Students may test only once for each school year. New students should contact the PACE Office for testing information, including the testing schedule throughout the school year.
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Level I Screening
Parents may recommend their children be tested for the PACE Program by contacting the District 200 PACE Office and completing the Parent Referral Forms. Parent and/or Teacher recommendation identify the students invited to test for the PACE Program. |
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Level II Selection – students entering 6th grade
Students entering 6th grade who are identified through Level I Screening are administered the following tests:
Fast Paced Mathematics
- Mathematics Subtest of the Comprehensive Testing Program 4
* an at-level achievement test covering the following areas: numbers and number relationships, number systems and number theory, geometry and spatial sense, measurement, statistics, probability and pre-algebra
- Quantitative Reasoning Subtest of the Comprehensive Testing Program 4
* an at-level achievement test covering the following areas: comparison, extensions and generalizations and analysis
Fast Paced Language Arts
- Verbal Reasoning Subtest of the Comprehensive Testing Program 4
* an at-level achievement test covering the following areas: analogical reasoning, categorical reasoning and logical reasoning
- Reading Comprehension Subtest of the Comprehensive Testing Program 4
* an at-level achievement test covering the following areas: explicit information, inference and analysis
- Verbal Reasoning Subtest of the Differential Aptitude Test
* an above-level aptitude test including analogies
For both Fast Paced Math and Language Arts, incoming 6th grade students served by the ELL Program are also administered the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, an at-level aptitude test utilizing shapes and designs that are not unique to any cultural group.
Level II Selection – students entering 7th and 8th grade
Students entering 7th and 8th grade who are identified through Level I Screening are administered the following tests:
- SAT Reasoning Test – the same test given to college-bound high school students. Please note that the sequence of middle school math courses must be preserved.
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This testing is unique to District 200 and therefore ONLY District 200 tests will be used as qualifiers for the gifted program. NO outside testing will be accepted for this purpose.
A professional committee reviews information from Level II Selection. This committee will recommend students for participation if they qualify through this process. ONLY the Identification Committee is authorized to place students in the PACE Program.
All parents will receive a letter with their student’s test results. Students who qualify for the PACE Program must have parent consent to participate in the program. Students do not need to retest for the program from year to year once they have qualified unless they discontinue participation in our program for a school year. Students may test for the program only once for each school year. There is an Appeal Process following each round of testing for students who do not qualify for the program but whose test results do not reflect their capability. Please contact the PACE Office for more information on the Appeal Process.
HIGH SCHOOL COURSES, Grades 9 – 12
Many high school courses are appropriate for intellectually and academically gifted students, including Advanced Level courses and Advanced Placement courses. Placement for these courses is based on criteria established by the high schools. Please refer to the high school course catalog and Guidance Offices for more information on these programs and placement guidelines. Advanced Placement courses offered at the high schools include: AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Computer Programming A, AP English, AP European History, AP Government and Politics, AP Psychology, AP Statistics and AP U.S. History.
More information about District 200’s Gifted PACE Program
Is available from the District 200 PACE Office, (630) 682-2010
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