Open House is Tuesday, March 23, 2010.
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SAS Program

Welcome to Our SAS Program!

Is your child creative? Does she fall in love with a subject and explore it completely? Is he curious and self- motivated? The School for Advanced Studies may be the challenge which will give your child a change to soar.

The SAS program is designed to meet the needs of gifted/talented students particularly those that seek advanced learning beyond the core curriculum. Each grade level team has developed a sequenced, yet student centered curriculum, which is aligned with the leads into the SAS program at our local high schools. SAS students learn by exploring, inquiring, and seeing issues from multiple points of view. Your child will be challenged bit in a caring, supportive environment.

Robert Frost Middle School seeks to prepare students for high school AP classes, state and national tests, and college entrance exams. At the same time, we hope to enhance the natural curiosity and love of learning in every student. We encourage problem-solving abilities and promote creative and critical thinking in an enjoyable learning environment. Whether it may be a cultural fair or creating an ideal habitat for an endangered species, we want you child to see the world from many points of view as they apply their learning to their own world.

Our vibrant elective program includes:
  1. An award-winning choral program
  2. Journalism: publishing both newspaper and a magazine
  3. Art and Advanced Art: fire pottery in our kiln
  4. Yearbook: written and edited by students
  5. Leadership: preparing students for high school student government and beyond
  6. Advanced Computer Technology
  7. Beginning and Advanced Band
LAUSD Program Goals

The overall program goal is to support the District’s mission to provide a comprehensive
program with high-quality content instruction for student performance that exceeds the
standards to help all students make the most of their unique talents and capabilities as per
AB2313.

The immediate goal, following the State guidelines, is to ensure that students who
demonstrate outstanding ability or potential in the areas of general intellectual giftedness
and/or academic talent are identified and engaged in learning at the appropriate instructional
level and rate of learning. Inclusion of students representing the diversity of the District is a
priority.

The long-term goal is to provide programs and services that meet the special learning needs
of all students who demonstrate outstanding ability or potential in one or more of the
following areas: general intellectual ability; high achievement ability; specific academic
ability; ability in visual or performing arts; and talent in leadership and creativity.

The guidance/counseling process is a product of the collaborative efforts of teachers,
administrators, support personnel, specialists, and parents. Everyone who lives or works
with the gifted child must serve one or more functions in the guidance/counseling program
for maximal effectiveness. These functions include: mentor, facilitator, listener,
advocate, consultant, instructor, role model, and program coordinator.

Program Outcomes
Student Outcomes:
  • Continuous progress based on ability and performance
  • Accelerated student performance
  • Development of independence and self-direction
  • Increased use of technology for research and multi-media presentations
  • Successful performance in state and national tests and competitions.
  • Success in making original contributions to a field of study
  • Acceleration in a discipline or across disciplines
Teacher Outcomes:
  • Increased knowledge and preparation of lessons that support the cognitive and social/emotional needs of gifted students
  • Increased knowledge and use of instructional models, program options
  • Use of alternative assessment procedures
  • Increased ability to be flexible in terms of pace, use of instructional materials and patterns
  • Use of alternative evaluation processes
Counseling and Guidance Outcomes:
  • Orientation of individual gifts and talents to special programs/services
  • Individual inventories to define gifts/talents
  • Information services about giftedness to include summer enrichment and scholastic services/scholarships
  • Placement in program options and educational alternatives

Professional Development

Gifted/Talented Programs recognizes the following components necessary for instruction of
gifted/talented students. The topics for professional development which will lead to appropriate
teacher professional preparation are:
  • Characteristics of gifted learners (underrepresented, underachievers, highly able)
  • Recognition of affective and cognitive needs
  • Changing perspectives on intelligence
  • Assessment of individual student academic and social and emotional needs rather than labeling
  • Recognition of needs of highly able learners in classroom settings
  • Understanding the interrelationship between appropriate instructional challenge, student
  • motivation, and student achievement in high ability
  • Proactive development of meaningful learning experiences well beyond grade-level expectations
  • Modification of core curriculum for culturally relevance and challenge
  • Continual assessment of student process and modification of instructional options based on assessment data
  • Appropriate use of a variety of instructional strategies to provide advanced and extended learning experiences
  • Developing and measuring student outcomes
  • Alternative evaluation
  • Technology for advanced learning and research
  • Use of multiple instructional strategies and resources
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
-Mahatma Gandhi
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