MV Extended Learning Program (ELP)
All professions seem to have their own acronyms.
Education may have more than most. One of the many acronyms in education is ELP.
Mrs. Christensen is MVCSD’s ELP teacher.
The Extended Learning Program or ELP is designed to enrich student learning across
the core content areas. Currently, Mrs.
Christensen works with students in grades K-7. Student groups range in size
from seven to 14 students, depending on the grade level. ELP gives students the
opportunity to help design projects, avenues, and curriculum based on their
interest inventories and areas of high academic performance.
ELP students are selected using a combination
of assessment pieces and/or teacher recommendation. Students scoring 95% or
above on Iowa Assessment core components, "Advanced" in Aimsweb
testing pieces (preferably two testing periods in a row), teacher recommendations,
and a Renzulli rating scale are all pieces that are looked at when putting ELP
groups together.
This school year, ELP groups will be focusing
on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and literacy across the
content areas. Students will also be delving further into the area of coding and
computer "language". A secondary focus is always vocabulary and
language/writing development. Mrs.
Christensen also looks closely at 21st century skills/standards when creating
units of study.
At the Middle School
level, Mrs. Christensen meets daily with sixth and seventh graders. Junior High
students compete annually in The Thinking
Cap Online Quiz Bowl. New this year, students will begin ‘A Future Problem
Solving Team’.
Mrs. Christensen is
given the opportunity to attend the Iowa TAG conference each October in Des
Moines, IA.
Last year, the ELP students created this video:
