Page 21 - Superintendent Report 2023-24

Course Acceleration

Acceleration refers to the practice of presenting curriculum content earlier or at a faster pace. In the District, acceleration
opportunities are provided in one or more subject areas, as well as grade-level acceleration, college courses offered in high
school, early graduation from high school, and early entrance into college. These options offer the flexibility needed to help
meet the individual needs of students.
To identify giftedness in traditionally underrepresented student groups, SDPBC implements universal gifted screening in
second grade. The District provides students access to accelerated or gifted coursework as they progress through the
gifted evaluation process. The FY23 school year marked the District’s second year implementing the Naglieri Non-Verbal
Ability Test (NNAT3) universal screener at 89 elementary schools. The gifted non-verbal assessment was administered to
all eligible second graders, totaling 9,493. This resulted in 2,140 more students accessing the gifted screener than in FY22.

National averages show that six to ten percent of students initially screened meet the requirements for gifted identification.
At the close of the FY23 school year, 1,572 students were eligible to progress through the gifted evaluation process. As
students are screened as potentially gifted, it is essential to ensure the District has enough gifted-certified teachers to serve
this population of students. The District responded to this need by offering teachers flexible online certification courses at
no cost. These gifted endorsement certification courses are offered in both English and Spanish. There are approximately
190 teachers currently enrolled in the District’s online gifted endorsement program.

Schools identify and select students for accelerated coursework. The District encourages open-access for any student
interested and motivated to work toward success in an accelerated course. Schools use a variety of methods to identify
students with the potential to be successful in accelerated coursework. These methods include teacher or counselor
recommendations, grade point average (GPA) or proficiency levels, District and State assessment results, student portfolios,
and student success in prerequisite coursework.

A District-wide collaborative effort has been made to establish professional learning communities to support teachers of
accelerated courses. From monthly cadres to Google Classrooms to program-specific training and supplemental curriculum,
the District supports its teachers as they continue to implement these acceleration opportunities.

SDPBC continues to expand access to accelerated work to more high school students by creating opportunities for students
to access college-level work while still in high school. Obtaining credit and accelerated opportunities are more valuable than
ever because students who take accelerated courses are more likely than their peers to attend college and graduate on time.

Seventy percent of this year’s graduating class successfully completed at least one accelerated course during high school.
All District high schools offer a variety of Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) and Advanced Placement
(AP)* courses. Last year, the District administered approximately 22,000 AICE exams and approximately 12,000 AP
exams. Students who successfully complete the requirements for an AICE diploma are eligible to earn a full Bright Futures
scholarship. In FY22, over 1,600 students earned the AICE Diploma. Four high schools currently offer the AP Capstone
Diploma resulting in 161 students earning an AP Capstone Diploma in FY22. District-wide, AP passing rates (scores of 3 or
higher) improved by eight percentage points from 49% to 57%.

Schools utilize the information in the AP Potential report to generate rosters of students who are likely to demonstrate success
in accelerated programs. With scaffolding, the District-wide practice of scheduling for potential provides opportunities for
Level 1 and 2 students to enroll in pre-AICE or pre-AP coursework. These courses set the foundation of the accelerated
programs while allowing the students to continue at their current grade level. As students experience success, the prior
coursework supports a seamless transition to college-level courses.
Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) promotes student self-management and personal responsibility
for academic success. AVID is currently offered at 66 sites in the School District of Palm Beach County. Each site has a
coordinator who is responsible for the recruitment and implementation of AVID. When implemented schoolwide, AVID
transforms the instruction, systems, leadership, and culture of a school, supporting college readiness for all students.

*AICE Diploma/AP data is lagging data.

EDUCATE | AFFIRM | INSPIRE // 21