4th-6th Grade HiCap Services—STRIVE
STRIVE Program Overview
The Clarkston School District’s elementary highly capable program is designed to provide appropriate educational experiences for those students in grades four through six who perform or show the potential to perform at a remarkably high level when compared to students of similar age, experience, or environment.
Mission/Vision
Within heterogeneous, inclusive learning groups and settings, the STRIVE Program provides an enriched, differentiated, accelerated and rigorous standards-based curriculum that presents learning at a pace, depth, and intensity that meets students’ intellectual needs while simultaneously encouraging growth of individual potential.
What it is:
- An opportunity to explore beyond the grade level curriculum, yet make connections to grade level standards
- Independent projects (including STEM)
- A way to connect areas of giftedness to future career choices
- An opportunity to group with other students in the area of giftedness
What it is not:
- More of the same/more work
- Replacement for grade level coursework
Location
Heights Elementary School, all four elementary schools are served here each week.
Classes
Grade 4-6 – students served for approximately 60 minutes once per week
Curriculum
Grade 4-6 – critical thinking, creative thinking, and group problem solving activities; instruction designed to enhance skills for work on theme based integrated units enriching students in the areas of math, science and the humanities. Numerous exploratory opportunities in the area of giftedness.
Class Work Make-up Policy
Students are not to be penalized for instruction time missed in the regular classroom while in STRIVE. They should only be required to make-up class work that is part of an on-going unit of study and some action is required so the student can keep up with the class. An example might be that a student needs to read a chapter in a novel or a selection for social studies or science, however a corresponding classroom assignment to go with the reading should not be required to be made up by the STRIVE student.
Student Identification/Eligibility Requirements
Once a student enters the STRIVE Program, no new testing is required to move from grade to grade.
Director of Highly Capable Services
Heather Lang
Email: langh@csdk12.org Phone: (509) 769-5540
Teacher
Michelle Nicholas
Email: nicholasmi@csdk12.org Phone: (509) 769-6113