About CHOICE

About the CHOICE Program

ON THIS PAGE: Overview | Characteristics of a CHOICE Student | Students With Identified Needs at Platt CHOICE (TAG, ILP, IEP)

The CHOICE Program

at Nevin Platt Middle School

Integrated, experiential middle school education

Education with a difference...

Small size:
  • Three-year program with an enthusiastic group of five core teachers
  • Safe environment where students know and care about each other
  • Personal, responsive instruction that addresses various learning styles
  • A focus program unique within the BVSD system
Large resources:
  • Trimester-long electives, may include choir, band, orchestra, physical education, drama, art, applied technology, and full-year foreign language
  • Students participate in all inter- and intramural athletics, such as track, football, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, soccer, and archery
  • Participation in Quiz Bowl, Geography Bee, Spelling Bee, Colorado Math League, Jazz Band, Student Council
  • Special education services are provided if student qualifies
  • TAG advisor communicates on a regular basis with team
BVSD support:
  • As a focus program, Platt CHOICE garners the support and resources of the BVSD system

Academic excellence...

Challenging:
  • Hands-on experiential approach to learning
  • Fosters excitement for learning and individual achievement
  • Students receive the BVSD curriculum over three years and meet district and state standards
  • Platt/Platt CHOICE CSAP scores exceed BVSD averages in all categories; see http://www.bvsd.org/
  • Graduates demonstrate the ability to work effectively with diverse groups, plan long-term protects, prioritize tasks, set realistic goals, and be strong self advocates in high school
  • Graduates are represented within BVSD high schools, including Boulder, Centaurus, Fairview, Monarch, and New Vista
Structure:
  • Multiage co-op class meets daily for teambuilding, leadership skills, and individualized help; co-op teacher serves as valuable communication link between student, parents, and all CHOICE teachers
  • Social studies and science are taught in single semester block courses; approximately one day a month, students participate in an all-day field trip directly related to this curriculum
  • All classes are multi-grade, 6th through 8th; math classes are ability based
Assessment:
  • Portfolio assessment that includes rubrics, self-assessment and use of a body of evidence to measure learning
  • Students take ownership of their learning by defining goals and then demonstrating proficiency by presenting portfolio of work to teachers and parents throughout the year

Learning community...

Within CHOICE:
  • Students, families, and teachers quickly become a community in which students are encouraged to take risks
  • Long-term CHOICE teachers create a safe, stable environment where students flourish
  • Teachers get to know students as individuals over three years, which jumpstarts the learning process and assures that students reach their full potential
  • Students genuinely like and trust their teachers, treating them as mentors
  • The safe environment allows students to grow both in self-confidence and mental acuity
Extended classroom:
  • Denver-Boulder community serves as an extended classroom for a multitude of daylong excursions
  • Students attend Denver Center plays, participate in numerous outdoor athletic activities, plus visit the library, capital, museums, and more
  • Students are required to initiate and participate in community involvement projects each semester
Extended Trips
  • Several longer experiential field trips reinforce the curriculum, and challenge students to stretch their comfort zones in a supportive environment
  • Through the years the program has been able to offer a fall trip which starts the community-building process at a Colorado wilderness camp
  • During the week-long spring trip, students have toured Washington, D.C., mountain biked Utah's Canyonlands, fly fished Colorado's Dolores River, and hiked the Tetons in Wyoming

Schedule...

The program delivers instruction using a block schedule. Students attend elective classes for the first two periods of the day. They receive Language Arts and Math instruction in one hour blocks before and after lunch. Students have Science one semester and Social Science one semester which are taught in a two hour afternoon block.

Transportation...

Options:
  • Students within the Nevin Platt Middle School attendance area receive free transportation to CHOICE provided by BVSD
  • Platt is conveniently located along RTD bus routes at Cherryvale Road and Baseline Road.

Who will succeed in CHOICE

Characteristics of successful CHOICE students are:
  • share the philosophy of the program
  • have a family who supports their learning both inside and outside of the classroom
  • have the ability and desire to learn how to communicate with others
  • want to become actively involved in service to the community
  • enjoy working with groups and project-based activities
  • respect individual differences
Characteristics of students who may not be successful in CHOICE are:
  • have had a recent placement in an intensive treatment or educational program without a successful transition to a mainstream learning environment
  • only function best with deskwork and textbook based learning
  • resist conflict resolution and are accustomed to solving problems with force
  • have a hard time making transitions from one environment to another
  • need adult presence and strong external controls to function and learn
  • have difficulty functioning in cooperative learning groups with different kinds of students
  • have difficulty with independent learning
  • don't want close monitoring of their work and behavior

Students With Identified Needs at Platt CHOICE (TAG, ILP, IEP)

CHOICE offers instruction using an inclusion model to deliver support and enrichment services. Teachers design and implement differentiated instruction that helps to meet student's needs within the mixed ability classroom. They also consult with TAG, Special Education and reading specialists for additional support.

Talented and Gifted

Identified Gifted Students have a Personalized Learning Plan (PLP) as a part of their portfolio. This plan is designed to meet the strengths of the student and is written in consultation with the teachers, counselor, parents and student. A TAG educational advisor consults with the team on a monthly basis and as needed by the student or teachers.

Literacy Support

Students who are on an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) receive support though their regular Language Arts classes. Their plan for improvement is part of their portfolio and goals for achievement.

Special Education

In CHOICE we believe that all students learn best with their peers; therefore a full inclusion model is used to provide special education services. The case manager and classroom teachers work together to support student needs. The case manager team-teaches some classes and consults with all CHOICE teachers on a regular basis. The reality of this focus program is that students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) may or may not have direct contact with the case manager durischool week. Direct contact may be limited depending on the schedule or activity.

Please Note
Because of field trips that are an integral part of this program special education services are not delivered at the following times:
  • Fall Trip - 3 Days in October
  • Day Trips - 20 Days throughout the year
  • Spring Trip - 5 Days
Additional Note:
Federal law requires that reasonable accommodations be provided to permit the participation of children with disabilities in District programs. It does not, however, require focus programs such as CHOICE, to make fundamental alterations to the program to allow for participation of children with disabilities. Therefore, if a student with 15 or more hours of service on his or her IEP is selected through the Open Enrollment process, a staffing will be held to determine if there is a match between the studentŐs needs and the CHOICE program.

The key questions asked at the staffing are:
  1. Can a Student's IEP be reasonably aligned to fit the CHOICE program and meet the needs resulting from the child's disability?
  2. Is there a match between the CHOICE philosophy, goals and programs and the learning style and needs of the student?
  3. What kind of services, resources, modifications and accommodations will be necessary to meet the student's needs?
Accountability and Responsibility

Because there is less structure and more freedom within this program, students take a higher responsibility for their success. In this system, two important components that promote a studentŐs success are a positive attitude and predisposition toward self advocacy and a willingness to form and maintain supportive relationships with adults. At school and working outside of school, students are expected to demonstrate a high degree of self advocacy with teachers, counselors, and case managers. The expectation that students will be proactive and responsible for their learning cannot be overemphasized. The focus school structure and inclusion model place unique demands on students with diverse learning needs. All students who are accepted into this program through the lottery must make a commitment to demonstrate increasing responsibility and self advocacy for their needs.