Special Programs

E.L.L. (English Language Learner) - This program is intended for students whose native language is not English. All Naperville elementary schools are included in this program. Students are evaluated for English proficiency and a program is developed for them. The E.L.L. program aims to help the children achieve acculturation into our schools and society.

Reading Support Program - Each Elementary school in Naperville has an assigned reading specialist who works with students and serves as a resource to staff members. The reading specialist diagnoses individual students' strengths and weaknesses in reading and then consults with the classroom teacher regarding strategies and approaches to help the student increase his/her reading performance. Direct assistance from the reading specialist in the form of small group instruction occurs in or outside of the classroom. Click here to read more from Scott School's Reading and Literacy Specialists.

Project LEAP - Kindergarten and First Grade Tutorial Support Model - Each First grade classroom is eligible for a LEAP assistant to provide early intervention in reading for students needing additional instruction. LEAP assistants work one-to-one with students for thirty minutes daily in a tutorial setting.

Kindergarten LEAP - Beginning in February of each year, reading assistance is provided to eligible kindergarten students in a 15 minute daily tutorial.

Band/Orchestra - District 203 provides students with opportunities to explore instrumental music education. When children have completed the third grade they are eligible to join the band or orchestra program. Band and orchestra teachers work weekly with the children involved. Instruments may be rented or purchased. Lesson schedules are rotated so as not to impact the students' same instructional period each week. Further information regarding these programs is available at each elementary school.

Special Education Programs - Many students have special needs, either short range or long range, that requires specialized instruction and/or programs. Naperville District 203 provides for these children. The type of program which would be most appropriate for your child will be determined at a multi-disciplinary conference. During this conference, you and various individuals who have knowledge of your child's abilities share their information and determine an appropriate program option. You are invited to visit programs that may meet your child's educational needs. The building principal can provide you with more specific information concerning the various programs offered at District 203.

Project IDEA Grades 4-8 - Project IDEA has been developed for academically talented students in grades four through eight who meet established District criteria on the Cognitive Abilities Test, the Iowa Test of Basic Skill and teacher observational data. A matrix is used, with a student needing 10 points out of a possible 18 points to qualify for placement in the program. The program is offered at all fourteen elementary schools and at all five junior high schools.

Students participate in a literacy class which meets five days per week during the students' regularly scheduled literacy block. Approximately 40% of the instructional time is spent on traditional gifted activities involving creative and critical problem solving and 60% on the literacy strands of reading, writing, listening and speaking aligned with District 203 Literacy Learner Outcomes. The program seeks to develop, through integration of curriculum, the higher level thinking skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation as delineated in Bloom's Taxonomy.

Gifted Magnet Program Grade 4-8 - The gifted magnet program is designed for the top two percent of the gifted population in grades four through eight. The fourth and fifth grade students participating in this multiage program attend either Highlands Elementary or Mill Street Elementary on alternative attendance. The program for students in grades six through eight is located at Kennedy Junior High.

Students participate in enriched and accelerated self-contained classes in a humanities strand, which includes the literacy strands integrated with district social studies content. The math and science strand include high school algebra at the seventh grade level, honors geometry at the eighth grade level, and freshman level conceptual physics. This program seeks to develop, through integration of curriculum, the higher level thinking skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation as delineated in Bloom's Taxonomy.

Honors Math Grades 3-8 - The honors math program is for students in grades three through five who demonstrate mathematical understanding, problem solving and reasoning skills. Specific criteria has been established for qualification into the accelerated math program. This program is offered at all fourteen elementary buildings.

Students' thinking in mathematics is flexible. The students are able to demonstrate that they grasp concepts quickly, see patterns and make connections across disciplines and among operations. The critical objectives, aligned with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards and District 203 Mathematics Learner Outcomes, allows students in the program to complete the six grade math sequence at the end of their elementary experience.

The elementary honors mathematics program segues into the advanced mathematics program at the five junior high schools. The K-8 aligned critical objectives allow students to complete the freshman level algebra course at the eighth grade level. Students take geometry during their high school freshman year.

Elementary Enrichment - Enrichment opportunities are available to academically talented students in grades kindergarten through grade five at all fourteen elementary buildings. Inclusion in enrichment activities is determined through teacher observation. Teachers, through flexible grouping, match extension and enrichment activities to students' needs in all fundamental learning areas. An enrichment assistant is available in each elementary building to support the delivery of the enrichment opportunities. The Project IDEA teacher in each building acts as a facilitator and resource specialist for teachers. Resource materials have been provided and are available for teachers in all fourteen elementary buildings.