Student Support Services

English Learner

The English Learner (EL) program supports multilingual learners in acquiring the English they need in order to succeed in the classroom and beyond, in accordance with the State of Minnesota Guidelines and English Language Proficiency Standards. Incoming students are tested for English proficiency when entering District 196 schools, as well as periodically throughout the school year to determine progress and eligibility for continued instruction.

In EL settings, English learners are part of an English language learning experience where students engage in content study and English learning simultaneously. Students are grouped by proficiency level at the elementary through high school level and may or may not share the same native language.

Rachel Kieltyka

School: 651-683-6969 x84323

Family Support Staff

Schools are an ideal place for students to receive the social, emotional, and behavioral support that are needed to adaptively cope with challenges and engage with learning.

Our mental health and wellness support team works in collaboration with families, teachers, school administrators, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between home, school, and the community. Through our work, we support diverse learners, promote positive behavior and mental health, improve academic achievement, and work to maintain a safe and positive school culture. In essence, we support students’ ability to learn and teachers’ ability to teach.

Please reach out to connect with us. You can also find mental health and wellness resources by visiting our website.

Mental Health and Wellness Resources website

Kristina Wolfe

Social Worker

School: 651-423-7846

Jessica Anderson

School Psychologist

School: 651-683-6969 x82613

Gifted and Talent Development

Academically talented children are those students with outstanding abilities and capable of higher performance when compared to others of similar age, experience and environment. They have significantly different educational needs from their peers and require educational differentiation as a regular part of their school day to ensure they reach their full potential.

These services are available at all elementary and middle schools.

Talent Development contacts by school/location.

Parent Resources

Twice Exceptional (2e) Resources

Gifted and Talented Advisory Council (GTAC)

Service Model

Click here for more information- District 196 Talent Development Services

Talent Development in District 196 Middle Schools

Flexible and Fluid Service Model:

District 196 elementary schools cluster identified students in grades 3-5. Talent Development specialists support cluster classroom teachers with differentiating for advanced academic needs in core instruction and in guided groups.

Students whose advanced academics needs extend beyond what can be provided in a cluster classroom may be referred for single subject and/or grade level acceleration.

Talent Development services in District 196 is an inclusive, flexible and fluid model. A student does not need to be formally identified to receive support for their high academic and learning ability needs. Talent Development services are provided through flexible grouping based on district assessments and ongoing assessments in the classroom which are based on the content and standards being presented at that time.

Identification

Grades 3-5 Cluster Classrooms

Click here for more information-Elementary Cluster Classrooms

A cluster classroom is a regular grade level class with a small group of identified students together in the same class. The cluster classroom teacher receives support to meet the learning needs of advanced students in math and/or literacy in their class. Cluster classrooms in 3rd-5th grades is an efficient way to provide advanced learning strategies to students throughout the school day.

Every District 196 elementary school has cluster classrooms in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. Many schools have more than one cluster classroom in each grade level. A cluster class includes identified students with a range of abilities. The number of identified students in a cluster class varies. It is recommended that the number of identified students in a cluster class not exceed one third of the class.

Acceleration

District 196 recognizes that students with superior abilities may have their needs best served by grade acceleration or single subject acceleration. Grade acceleration or single subject acceleration will be recommended only after other appropriate program changes or modifications have been deemed inadequate to meet the academic and emotional needs of the student in the student's current grade placement. This determination will be made by an assessment team.

For more information- District 196 Acceleration Information

Grade Acceleration (grade skipping)

Single Subject Acceleration

Early Entrance to Kindergarten

Katie Hunt

School: 651-683-6969 x82653

GIFTED AND TALENTED DEVELOPMENT

Reading Recovery

Reading Recovery is a program that helps first-grade students learn to read at the average level of their classmates within twenty weeks.

Students are selected on the basis of assessments given by classroom teachers the summer preceding first grade. These students receive daily 30-minute individual tutoring from a teacher specially trained in Reading Recovery techniques.