The mission of the Challenge Program is to provide  students who qualify with a unique opportunity for cognitive and affective growth.

The Challenge Program:

• offers the district’s most advanced students an opportunity to learn with their same age, intellectual peers for extended periods of time
• invites the top 5% of students selected through a strategic process based on multiple assessments and data points (All 2nd and 5th grade students are assessed with the CogAT tool. This is used as one of many multiple data points considered.)  
• accelerates curriculum a full year in language arts and math 
• provides instruction at a deeper and more rigorous level in science and social studies
• tailors instruction to the academic and social emotional needs of intellectually advanced learners. 

*The Challenge Program is housed at Roosevelt Elementary School, Edison Middle School, and Marshall Middle School. Once invited, participation in this magnet program is parental choice.

CHALLENGE Magnet Program Selection Process

1. Administration of CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test). 
   • The CogAT is administered to all district students in 2nd and 5th grades, but can be administered at other times if warranted. 
2. For students scoring in the top 5 - 10% of disaggregated groups on the CogAT, additional data is reviewed and/or gathered. Students should be consistently scoring at or above the 95% in reading and math on standardized tests since students are accelerated in those subjects. 
3. Teachers may be interviewed to verify ability, performance, and/or potential is consistently seen in the classroom.
4. An invitation to the Challenge Magnet Program is sent to families of selected students. 

*For those students invited, families have the final decision as to whether their student will be serviced through the Challenge Magnet Program or their home school. 

*Students typically enter the Magnet Program in 3rd or 6th grades. However, students are able to join anytime between 3rd - 8th grades if they meet entrance criteria and there are openings in the program.