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    • Description of Academically Talented and Gifted Services


      Honors Mathematics (Grades 3-8)

      Honors Mathematics is for academically talented students who demonstrate mathematical understanding, problem-solving, and reasoning skills. Honors Mathematics students are able to demonstrate that they grasp mathematics concepts quickly, see patterns, think flexibly, and make connections across disciplines.

      Honors Mathematics begins as early as the second trimester of Grade 3 and continues through Grade 8. At the elementary schools, pull-out Honors Mathematics instruction takes place during the normally scheduled math block. In junior high, Honors Mathematics instruction takes place during the student’s normally scheduled math class. Elementary Honors Mathematics is offered at all fourteen elementary schools and segues into junior high Honors Mathematics, which is offered at all five junior high schools.

      Honors Mathematics students progress through the critical objectives of the Illinois Math Learning Standards at an accelerated rate. Therefore, students in Honors Mathematics complete Algebra 1 in Grade 8 and enroll in Honors Geometry in their first year of high school. An overview of the Honors Mathematics curriculum is available at the district website:
      • Progression of Studies/Coursework
      • K-5 Math Yearlong Curriculum Maps

      • 6-8 Math Yearlong Curriculum Maps

      See Identification and Placement for Honors Mathematics eligibility information. Students, who enroll in Honors Mathematics, do not need to requalify for ongoing placement.

      Project IDEA (Grades 4-8)

      Project IDEA (Increase and Develop Excellence in Academics), also known as PI, is for academically talented students who demonstrate advanced reading comprehension. PI students are able to demonstrate knowledge of complex vocabulary, critically analyze a variety of texts, understand and evaluate varying perspectives, use evidence to develop coherent arguments, and make connections across disciplines.

      PI begins as early as Grade 4 and continues through Grade 8. At the elementary schools, pull-out PI reading instruction takes place during the normally scheduled reading block. In junior high, PI literacy instruction takes place during the student’s normally scheduled English language arts (ELA) class. Elementary PI is offered at all fourteen elementary schools and segues into junior high PI, which is offered at all five junior high schools.

      In elementary school, PI students deepen reading comprehension and analysis using complex texts, and then in junior high, PI students engage in deep learning within all of the literacy strands (i.e., reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language) of the Illinois English Language Arts Learning Standards. In their first year of high school, students enroll in Honors English 1. An overview of the PI curriculum is available at the district website:
      • Progression of Studies/Coursework
      • K-8 Literacy Yearlong Curriculum Maps

      See Identification and Placement for Project IDEA eligibility information. Students, who enroll in Project IDEA, do not need to requalify for ongoing placement. Please note that concurrent enrollment in the Dual Language Program and in Project IDEA is not possible. 

      Project IDEA Plus (Grades 4-8)

      Project IDEA Plus, also known as PI+, is a magnet program designed for top-performing students who have been previously identified for Project IDEA and Honors Mathematics. PI+ students have superior cognitive resources for learning and typically show very high levels of achievement in all school subjects. These students exhibit creativity and excel at original problem solving, producing ideas, generating original problems, critical thinking, and analysis. They adeptly transfer and use previous experience or knowledge to solve problems and to learn and make meaning of new concepts, continually making connections across disciplines.

      The PI+ magnet program begins as early as Grade 4 and continues through Grade 8. In elementary school, students in the PI+ magnet program attend Meadow Glens Elementary School and receive PI+ instruction throughout the day in mathematics, science, literacy, and social science. In junior high, students in the PI+ magnet program attend Kennedy Junior High School and receive PI+ instruction during the student’s normally scheduled classes for mathematics, science, English language arts (ELA), and social science.

      PI+ students progress through the critical objectives of the Illinois Math Learning Standards at an accelerated rate. Therefore, students receiving PI+ math instruction complete Algebra 1 in Grade 7, complete Geometry in Grade 8, and enroll in Honors Algebra 2 in their first year of high school. An overview of the PI+ math curriculum is available at the district website:
      • Progression of Studies/Coursework
      • K-5 Math Yearlong Curriculum Maps

      • 6-8 Math Yearlong Curriculum Maps

      PI+ students will engage in a deep understanding of the science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts outlined in the Illinois Science Learning Standards. In their first year of high school, PI+ students enroll in Honors Chemistry. An overview of the PI+ science curriculum is available at the district website:
      • Kindergarten-Grade 5 Science Overview
      • Grades 6-8 Science Overview

      In elementary school, PI+ students engage in a multiage humanities block that integrates literacy and social science learning. Through all of the literacy strands (i.e., reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language), PI+ students engage in projects and inquiry to deepen their understanding of social science content. Students also deepen reading comprehension and analysis by reading a variety of complex texts and engage in writing tasks to develop and refine strategies for writing across disciplines.

      In junior high, PI+ students continue to engage in deep learning of the literacy strands of the Illinois English Language Arts Learning Standards in their ELA class. In their social science class, PI+ students engage in inquiry to create a deeper understanding of social science content outlined in the Illinois Social Science Learning Standards. The disciplinary concepts are divided into four core disciplines of social science: civics, economics, geography, and history. In their first year of high school, PI+ students enroll in Honors English 1 and enroll in World Cultures, World History, or AP World History. An overview of the PI+ literacy and social science curriculum is available at the district website:
      • Progression of Studies/Coursework for literacy
      • K-8 Literacy Yearlong Curriculum Maps
      • K-8 Social Science Overview

      See Identification and Placement for PI+ eligibility information. Students, who enroll in PI+, do not need to requalify for ongoing placement. Please note that concurrent enrollment in the Dual Language Program and in PI+ is not possible.

      Kindergarten Early Entrance

      Naperville Community Unit School District 203 has established procedures to allow for requests from parents/guardians for early entrance into kindergarten. These procedures are specifically for children who demonstrate strong readiness for kindergarten and whose fifth birthday falls after September 1 of the school year. Because these procedures exceed State of Illinois requirements, the decision by District 203 regarding any application for early entrance into kindergarten will be final. More information can be found here.

      Accelerated Placement Process

      Naperville Community Unit School District 203 has established procedures to allow for requests from parents/guardians and/or teachers for subject-specific or whole-grade acceleration for students currently enrolled and attending a District 203 school. The accelerated placement process is intended specifically for children who demonstrate strong readiness for whole-grade acceleration or for subject-specific acceleration in math. All requests for acceleration must be received between February 1 and May 1 of the school year prior to when acceleration is desired. More information can be found here.

      High School Honors, Dual Credit, and Advanced Placement (AP) Courses (Grades 9-12)

      Honors, dual credit, and College Board’s Advanced Placement Program (AP) courses are available in a variety of subjects and offer additional academic rigor for students who are prepared to meet that challenge. Each year, with the advice and consultation of parents/guardians and the school counselor, students can choose to include honors, dual credit, and/or AP courses in their course selections. Please see the High School Program Planning Guide for more information.
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