What is PACE?
More than 20 years ago, the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Central School District Board of Education adopted a policy supporting gifted education. The PACE Program (Programs for Achieving Children’s Excellence) was established for both English/Language Arts and Mathematics in support of this initiative.
Over the years, PACE has expanded to include Science, becoming a comprehensive, coherent, and articulated multi-section program designed to challenge and meet the needs of highly-abled students. Each subject area has rigorous entrance criteria and standards that must be maintained in order to continue in the program. PACE students learn about the problem-solving process through various brain teasers and group activities which help them develop a skill set for overcoming challenges. These students also explore subject areas more deeply through project-based learning throughout the year.
What is Primary Enrichment?
Primary units are engaging extensions of grade-level curriculum that encourage students in grades 1-5 to explore, discover and create various projects. Students are nominated by their teacher based on the students’ strengths and interests. Students can be nominated several times throughout the year. This model allows for most students to be engaged in enrichment activities throughout the school year. Students attend enrichment sessions during their scheduled RTI time so they do not miss primary direct instruction.
Enrichment: Grades 1, 2, 4, and 5
- Aligned with the grade-level curriculum
- All students in the grade-level
- Targeted mini-units: theme or skill based
PACE: For 2022-23, begins in grade 6
- Aligned with the grade-level curriculum
- Highly-abled students who meet placement criteria
- Rigorous, in-depth, project-based learning