Bellevue School District Revenue and Competitors

The Bellevue School District serves a multi-ethnic and multi-racial population of approximately 15,000 students. The school district is comprised of 16 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, 2 alternative middle schools, 4 high schools, and 2 alternative high schools. Gifted education is one of the varied and innovative programs offered in the district. On March 4, 1985, the Bellevue School District School Board recommended the initiation of the PRISM program, designed to serve students of high intellectual and academic ability. The Board accepted a recommendation that the curriculum emphasis should be a balance between academic acceleration and enrichment. The PRISM program began in September, 1985, with one teacher who served twenty students in grades 3-5. The PRISM program currently serves 261 students in ten classrooms in a multi-aged, grade 1-8 setting, taught by ten teachers. The location of the program is Stevenson Elementary School (14220 NE 8th Street) for grades 1-5, and Odle Middle School (14401 NE 8th Street) for grades 6-8. Stevenson and Odle are centrally located, and the program draws students from throughout and outside the district. Limited transportation is available. The PRISM program serves students of exceptionally high academic and intellectual ability. In lieu of grade-skipping, and because they are few in number and differ from other children in cognitive development, it is preferable to combine these students in a single, full-time program. Grouping these students allows them to advance through the curriculum at a rate commensurate with their abilities, and interact with like ability peers. Students must meet specific entry criteria. PRISM serves students with advanced and accelerated curriculum in the areas of mathematics, science, language arts and social studies. The curriculum, activities and projects are designed to move beyond what is taught in the regular classroom to meet the needs of students who have demonstrated the ability, interest and need for academic acceleration. The PRISM opportunity requires dedication, commitment to academic achievement on the part of each student, along with support from the classroom teacher and parent. PRISM is part of the district Gifted and Talented Education (G.A.T.E.) program. The PRISM Curriculum committee, comprised of the G.A.T.E. coordinator, teachers, and parents, developed this document which provides the framework for the PRISM curriculum. The document has been reviewed by the District curriculum developers. All PRISM program parents were invited to read or attend a meeting designed to review this document.