FAQ - Advanced Content - Grades 5-8

  • What is Advanced Content?

    Advanced Content courses in the Clarke County School District provide rigorous instruction in the content areas designed to expose students to more in-depth content in order to better prepare them for Advanced and AP courses at the high school level and beyond. In these classes, students will study, discuss, research, and be held accountable for learning advanced concepts in a reading and writing-intensive environment. Students can expect to engage with content outside of the classroom through homework and reading assignments in order to devote classroom instruction to inquiry, collaboration, and elements of project-based learning.

    What Advanced Content Courses are Offered in Grades 5-8? 

    Advanced content math is offered in grades 5-8. Advanced content ELA is offered in grades 6-8. High school courses are also offered at the eighth-grade level. These courses include high school physical science, high school world language, and Enhanced Algebra: Concepts and Connections. 

    What are the Guidelines for Advanced Content Placement? 

    Advanced Content Placement guidelines are developed by the Clarke County School District (CCSD) as a requirement by the Georgia Department of Education. Multiple sources of information about student achievement are used to identify students who make good candidates for Advanced Content classes. In order to qualify for placement in an advanced content class, student performance is reviewed using three criteria. Each of the criteria contributes to an overall Advanced Content Placement Score. Students who make at least a total of 4 points are automatically placed in Advanced Content classes. Schools will review all students who did not make a total of 4 points and consider additional data points (such as Spring 2023 i-Ready and Milestone percentiles, student self-assessments, and local norms) before finalizing advanced content placements. 

    When will I know about My Child's Advanced Content placement? 

    Rising grades 6-8 students will receive a letter in June with their advanced content placement. Rising 5th-grade students will be informed by their school.

    Can I have Input About My Child's Advanced Content placement? 

    Students who were not placed in Advanced Content classes will also be reconsidered for placement during fall conferences and based on fall first-quarter grades and fall diagnostic assessments.