Class of 2029 Information and Resources

We take the responsibility of course placement very seriously and want you to understand the values we embrace and the procedures we follow in making them. If you have questions, please contact the Division Head who oversees the placement process for the courses in each academic area. 

Student Placement in Courses
We place students in courses because we believe that students learn best when they are appropriately challenged, feel comfortable being an active member of the class, and can achieve in a way that maintains their confidence. We value having a curriculum available that provides students with the most appropriate transition to college studies. For students who may be working below grade level when they enter high school, we value providing them with supportive settings that are focused on additional time for skill development in order to accelerate their learning.

We make placement decisions with the goal of best serving each student over their four-year career at Riverside Brookfield High School. We do so with a commitment to expanding opportunities for students. Therefore, we revisit placements at least annually throughout a student’s four years to be sure that they are taking courses at the highest level where they can be successful.

Sources of Information for Placement Decisions
To place students appropriately, we will use our best professional judgment based on multiple sources of information. Initial placement decisions are based on performance on the Explore scores,  MAP scores, current curriculum, our knowledge of the ninth-grade curriculum, and our knowledge of how students with specific achievement profiles have performed in the ninth grade in prior years. An additional exam is given for Honors Geometry and level II world language courses. Additional sources we value and will consider when collaborating with students and parents/guardians include eighth-grade teacher feedback, skill evaluation tests, and student work product, when needed.

MAP Scores (if available)
If your student’s current school has shared spring and/or fall MAP test results with the high school, all data has been carefully reviewed by our core area Division Heads as part of the course placement process. 

MAP scores are reported somewhat differently from other tests. The overall scores on the test are reported in Rausch Units (RIT). The RIT scale score is designed to measure growth in instructional content. A RIT score has equal interval scales, like a ruler, that are independent of the grade level or age of a student and provide greater consistency over time.

The percentile score is used to compare one student’s scores or performance on the test to that of a larger norm group. In this case, the norm group represents over one million MAP test scores from students across the United States. According to the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA),  which publishes MAP, “the percentile means that the student scored as well or better than that percent of students taking the test in their grade.”

All Riverside Brookfield High School Division Heads have comprehensive and detailed knowledge of the curriculum in their departments. They know the optimal alignment between specific eighth-grade achievement profiles and the knowledge and skills needed to perform successfully in the various courses offered.  

Eighth-Grade Teacher Assessment of Student Performance
Division Heads may have conversations with eighth-grade teachers regarding student performance to gain insight into the student's reading, writing, speaking, critical thinking, discussion, and cooperation skills, as well as their motivation, initiative, and work habits. The best predictor of future performance is current performance in similar circumstances.

Student and Parent Assessment of Student Aspirations
The student should have an opportunity to indicate their interest in being placed in a particular ability group. Student aspirations and self-knowledge can be valuable predictors of achievement. A student’s parent/guardian may also be able to provide additional insight into their motivation, work patterns, and other involvements. We encourage students and parents/guardians to take all of these factors into consideration when making decisions about the placements that are being recommended. 

Skill Evaluation Test
In some departments, students may be asked to take a test authored by Riverside Brookfield High School teachers (e.g., in mathematics, world language or English). Such a test would provide more specific information than the MAP test and measure student readiness for specific high school courses.

Individualized Education Program (IEP)
For students receiving special education services, IEPs are also a factor in determining course selection and performance-based, ability group placement. If you have an IEP, but would like to request a placement higher than the one indicated on the course placement form, you MUST contact the content area Division Head. Decisions about higher placements are not determined at an IEP meeting, only the types of support needed in the classes students are placed into. 

As you make decisions about the level of courses your student would like to take, we want to be transparent in the expectations of honors-level coursework. Honors-level courses are quantitatively different from non-honors courses. The purpose of an honors course is to show students how knowledge in the discipline is discovered, developed, evaluated, argued, tested, and applied. 

Class Content

1. An honors curriculum is more challenging and demanding, not simply by assigning more work but by extending and deepening the educational value from the work assigned. 
2. The learning objectives of the course should emphasize the higher levels of cognition: analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
3. Honors classes are designed for the student who demonstrates exceptional aptitude, interest, and/or talent in a particular subject. The syllabus will show evidence of some of the following:

• Promoting learning outside the formal classroom setting; 
• Encouraging creative expression and achievement; 
• Fostering teamwork and collaboration; 
• Providing opportunities for independent research; 
• Incorporating, where possible, opportunities for study outside the classroom; 
• Provide opportunities for presentation of work. 

4. Homework is assigned to inspire and require students to move beyond acquiring information and progressing towards a more complex engagement with the material. 
5. Honors-level courses typically require prerequisites for admission encompassing prior course work, teacher recommendation, standard test scores, and/or a demonstrated pattern of achievement. 
6. Honors courses require a higher level of academic expectation which prepares students for capstone classes and/or nationally recognized curriculums. 

Students 

1. Honors-level students are typically independent, self-directed learners who can work without detailed directions from a teacher. Students spend non-class time learning and reviewing basic and straightforward class material. 
2. Student demonstrations of learning are likely to include group projects, portfolios, performances, and other creative outcomes.