Elementary ALPS Program

The following are suggestions for the appeal, which should be included in your submitted Appeals Application.

• A letter from the family/caregivers clearly detailing their reasoning for desiring ALPS placement
• A statement from the student detailing his/her reasoning for desiring ALPS placement.
• Demonstration of the student’s aptitude and/or achievement in English language arts AND math. This should include products that the student has authored or created that demonstrates creativity and strong language skills.
• Examples of the student’s work done through NPS or through an outside entity.
• Performance through academic math competitions.
• Classroom teachers will be contacted directly by the committee should the committee want more information regarding a specific student.

The appeal and the student’s compiled academic record will be reviewed. If deemed necessary by the Assistant Superintendent, a meeting with the family/caregivers will be held to gather additional information. Deadline: April 24, 2026
 

When considering the appeal, the committee will examine the following:

• The information submitted to the Appeal Review Committee.
• Was there reason to suspect that the student’s performance on standardized testing may have been negatively impacted by contextual factors: illness, emotional distress, inappropriate test administration, etc?
• To what extent did the student fail to obtain testing scores that qualified him/her for ALPS? Was the gap broad? Was the gap across all tested areas or skills?
• Did the student’s academic record suggest a consistent pattern of performance which is exemplary when compared to his/her peers?
• Are there contextual factors that make the student a strong/weak candidate for advanced placement in both reading and math? Factors such as, but not limited to, the student’s ability to cope with increased rigor, work with ALPS peers, manage transition, etc.
• Has the student appealed the decision in a previous year? If so, what is different this time?

Application opens: April 7, 2026

Deadline: April 24, 2026

In addition to the rigor of the general education classroom where teachers use different  strategies, an Alternative Learning Program for Students (ALPS) is offered. In grades 3, 4, and 5, NPS offers a magnet (all day, every day) program for students who qualify for this programming option.

These organizational styles are arrangements recommended to facilitate differentiation of the  curriculum. This was a recommendation of a Citizen-Staff Advisory Committee in 1987. This  group believed that the needs of students who have qualifying scores for advanced  programming differ from others, primarily in degree and dimension, and recommended that  these students have opportunities to be grouped together. 

In a magnet class, the child is more likely to find other children who have similar interests and  learn in the same way. ALPS helps to support both social and emotional growth in an  academic setting.

The ALPS program is designed to challenge the academically talented student. All students  must qualify for the program and be identified as potentially benefiting from this option. Since the ALPS classroom is composed of similar students, they challenge each other, discuss topics  at a deeper level, and learn quickly with less teacher direction and instruction. ALPS students  are involved in several projects that are of a longer duration and require high levels of thinking  and subject integration.

The curriculum for those students who qualify for the ALPS program is adapted to meet the needs of these students. Basic concepts and traditional curriculum will be addressed, though  adjusted to meet the needs of the learners. Appropriate enrichment occurs naturally within the classroom. Students learn how to make and present a variety of products. Higher-level  thinking skills and the problem-solving process receive a heavy emphasis. ALPS students participate in physical education, music, art, and STEAM classes as do all other elementary students. 

Parents should expect an adjustment period as students enter the program. Students become  very close and supportive as a group as they spend time in the program. In a classroom where  they are grouped together, children are more likely to find others like themselves and develop  friendships in the magnet program. Teachers make concerted efforts to provide opportunities  for children to get to know and work with students in the other classes.  Parents are encouraged to continue to have their child participate in after-school clubs,  programs, teams, etc, so the student can continue to have contact with peers beyond the  classroom who share the same interests. These may include opportunities at Amerman/Silver Springs, their boundary school, and places outside of the school setting. 

Students can be—and are—successful academically and socially when they enter the program after third grade. Students are excited to be with others who have similar education needs and characteristics and learn quickly with limited instruction.

There are many opportunities for parent involvement including: resource person to the class,  field trip participation, parent education programs, assistance with projects, and participation in  groups within the ALPS program, your boundary school, and the ALPS host school family.

Once a student qualifies for ALPS, and accepts the placement, they remain in ALPS. The appropriateness of the individual placement is always being evaluated by teachers and  parents. If there is a concern, dialog and planning occurs.

This will be considered a year-long placement. The ALPS staff anticipates open communication between staff and parents to work out concerns. At the end of the year, if a parent still wants to exit their student from ALPS, the withdrawal form is obtained, discussed with the teacher and principal, and must be completed by the  parent. 

The child will be placed in a regular, heterogeneously grouped class in the boundary school and  will receive the same educational opportunities offered to all general education Northville  students. 

No, this is not an option. All decisions are due by the communicated deadline for acceptance into the program.

Students must re-qualify for reconsideration into the ALPS program, space permitting.  Students’ i-Ready results in conjunction with past NWEA scores (specifically, the 97th percentile, with a 2% flexibility margin) will be reviewed, along with an ability test.

Historically, all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade ALPS classrooms were housed at Amerman Elementary. In the spring of 2024, due to the predicted size of the incoming 3rd grade ALPS cohort, there was no longer enough space to accommodate all grades of ALPS classrooms in one building. The decision was made to move the entire 3rd grade ALPS cohort to Silver Springs Elementary. The 4th and 5th grade classrooms remain at Amerman Elementary.

Not for the foreseeable future. The ALPS Planning Committee was formed in September of 2024 to look into a short term and a long term plan for the location of the ALPS program. Their recommendation was to keep all of the 3rd grade ALPS classrooms at Silver Springs Elementary and all of the 4th and 5th grade ALPS classrooms at Amerman Elementary. 
The long term solution will require more time to potentially consider keeping all classrooms in one building. The committee was composed of parents, staff and administration. Minutes from this committee’s meetings and the presentation they prepared, can be found on the ALPS Planning Committee webpage.

Information gathered during the fall of 2024 during the work of the ALPS Planning Committee, was pivotal in the short term planning and will act as the foundation for the work that will be done in the future for long term planning. Please contact the Office of Instruction for more information.

Students arrive at their boundary school in the morning according to the district transportation plan for their neighborhoods. This might involve walking or bussing. Once they arrive at their boundary school, an ALPS shuttle bus will arrive to pick them up from their boundary school and take them to the ALPS school site.  

A dedicated staff person will help ensure they board the correct bus for the return trip. Dismissal for ALPS bus riders is slightly early so that the shuttle reaches the students’ boundary schools around the standard dismissal time. Once at the boundary schools, the students board their regular bus, are picked up by vehicle or walk home according to their families plan. All students are expected to return home in the same way every day unless there is a signed note from the parent indicating a different plan.

Students in the ALPS program can choose to enroll in Kids’ Club either at the ALPS host school or their boundary school, space permitting. Please reach out to our Early Childhood program for more information.

If a third, fourth, or fifth grade student has evidence of enrollment in a gifted/advanced program  in their former district, parents may call the Office of Instruction at 248-344-3526.

Enrollment in the ALPS Program will depend on space availability for all new students who apply after the posted deadline. Students applying are required to meet the same posted qualifications and complete an application. Students new to Northville who are accepted must complete all enrollment documents to secure a spot in the program.