Parent Information Meetings
| Nobel Middle School Info Meeting | Tuesday, Oct. 24 | Presentation slides - English |
| Dimensions Academy Info Meeting | Wednesday, Oct. 25 | Presentation slides - English |
Dimensions Academy - Oak Grove and Olson Middle Schools
The Dimensions Academy (DA) program challenges and inspires academically gifted students to progress from being passive “knowledge consumers” to become knowledge producers, critical thinkers and innovative creators. By engaging in research and project-based opportunities students have the opportunity to drive their own learning in a way that has long lasting impacts and implications for self and the world around them.
Learning experiences include academic competitions such as National History Day, the ArcGIS mapping contest, high altitude weather ballooning, and field research at Richardson Nature Center. Our program is designed to meet the unique educational and social/emotional needs of academically gifted children in grades 6-8.
DA middle school students are grouped together for core subject areas and the remainder of their schedule is integrated with their grade level peers.
All students are considered for participation in the middle school Dimensions Academy program; placements are based on students' current qualifications, regardless of past participation in gifted and talented programs in elementary school.
- Social studies
- Science
- Language arts
- 95 percent or higher on MAP reading and math scores or comparable achievement test
- 95 percent or higher on at least two subtests of an IQ test or the CogAT test of cognitive abilities. Please note that IQ testing must be administered by an approved licensed psychologist/psychiatrist.
- Strong teacher and parent recommendations
- Recommendation form from teacher or other education professional - out of district applicants only
- Applicants with the highest cumulative scores are placed first. District students are given priority.
- Because different programs are offered at each level and standardized tests are typically only considered valid for two years, eighth-graders will be retested for high school programs.
Nobel - Valley View Middle School
Nobel is designed to develop the talents of highly creative students through a rigorous humanities approach. Focusing on critical thinking and creativity, students engage in a rich curriculum connecting literature, social sciences, philosophy and the arts.
Inspired by Alfred Nobel and his legacy of celebrating outstanding contributions in fields such as literature, physics, and peace, this program is designed to build habits of scholarship and inspire students to embrace their own leadership capabilities to positively impact their world.
Nobel middle school students are grouped together for core classes and the remainder of their schedule is integrated with their grade level peers.
All students are considered for participation in the middle school Nobel program; placements are based on students' current qualifications, regardless of past participation in gifted and talented programs in elementary school.
- Nobel Expanded Art
- Nobel Language Arts
- Nobel Social Studies
- MAP reading score of 85 percent or higher or comparable achievement test. Placement points as follows:
- 75% = 1 point
- 80% = 2 points
- 85% = 3 points
- 90% = 4 points
- 95% = 5 points
- Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT). Students are scored on several verbal and figural categories of creativity. Placement points are awarded for scores 51% and higher with more points being awarded to scores in the 85+%. For more detailed information on how to interpret your student's Torrance results, watch this short informational video.
- Strong teacher and parent recommendations
- Recommendation form from teacher or other education professional - out of district applicants only
- Applicants with the highest cumulative scores are placed first. District students are given priority.
- Because different programs are offered at each level and standardized tests are typically only considered valid for two years, eighth-graders will be retested for high school programs.
Middle School Math Placement
Due to the wide range of math abilities, students are placed in a math class appropriate to their readiness and ability level.
| Grade | Grade level math | 1 Year Advanced Test scores 95 percent or higher | 2 Year Advanced Test scores 99 percent or higher |
| 6 | Regular Math 6 | Math 7 | Algebra 8 |
| 7 | Regular Math 7 | Algebra 8 | Intermediate Algebra 9 |
| 8 | Regular Algebra 8 | Intermediate Algebra 9 Includes high school credit and grade | Honors Geometry 10 Includes high school credit and grade |
For all Learners
In addition to the Dimensions Academy and Nobel programs, Gifted and Talented staff work with all middle schools to support staff in differentiated instruction and support students with options for advanced learning and enrichment.