Curriculum & Instruction

Identification of Giftedness

Gifted students are defined as those who perform or show the potential to perform at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of the same age, experience, or environment. Outstanding talents are present in children from all culture groups and economic strata.

House Bill 282, the Ohio Administrative Code Rule 3301-51-15 Identification and Services for Children Who Are Gifted requires school districts to develop plans for identification and services for children who are gifted. Click here to read this law. 

Currently, school districts are required to identify students as gifted and talented in four areas: Superior Cognitive Ability, Specific Academic Ability (Math, Science, Reading/Writing, and Social Studies), Creative Thinking, and Visual and Performing Arts. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce establishes the criteria for identification which, except in the area of Visual and Performing Arts, is partially or entirely based on how a child scored on one or more state-approved nationally normed standardized assessments. You can view these assessments here: Chart of Approved Assessments and Gifted Education.

Please click here to access the Visual and Performing Arts Nomination Form

Gifted Services

While school districts are not required to serve students in all areas at this time, we at Fairfield City Schools are committed to programs that recognize the special needs of students who demonstrate the potential for superior talents in academics, creativity and leadership. We believe that gifted students will benefit from a differentiated education which helps to develop self-esteem and skills for independent and group study, research, creative thinking, and problem solving. Our district currently has educational options to offer gifted students in grades Kindergarten through grade twelve.

Appropriate educational experiences for gifted students may include:

• Cluster groups (all grades)
• Self-contained classrooms (grades 6-8)
• Advanced classes (grades 6-12)
• Honors classes (grades 9-12)
• Early entrance to kindergarten or first grade
• Subject acceleration
• Whole grade acceleration
• College credit plus courses

In addition, all teachers are encouraged to provide their gifted class members with challenging course work and enrichment activities within the normal classroom setting.

Please click here for more information about Gifted Education

Whole Grade Acceleration

Students may be referred for whole grade acceleration by their parent or guardian, teacher, classmate, or by self-recommendation. The referral and application can be found in the files below.

Applications for whole grade acceleration may be submitted at any time. 

Please click here for more information about acceleration

Early Entrance to Kindergarten or First Grade

Early entrance to kindergarten or first grade is a specific type of whole grade acceleration.

In Butler County, and pursuant to Board policy JEB, a child must be age five (5) by August 1st to be eligible for regular entrance into kindergarten or age six (6) by August 1st to be eligible for regular entrance into first grade. The Fairfield City School District recognizes that there are rare instances when a child is ready for kindergarten or first grade earlier than the traditional age. Typically, 5-10% of applicants are recommended for early entrance after completing the evaluation process.

The district's Early Entrance Evaluation Team will investigate to see if a child is ready to accelerate a year ahead of his/her peers. The Early Entrance Evaluation Team ideally consists of school psychologists, a speech pathologist, a kindergarten teacher, and the instructional specialist of gifted services.

If you are considering having your child evaluated for early entrance to kindergarten or first grade, please read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) before completing the Early Entrance to Kindergarten or First Grade Application. The FAQ document outlines the evaluation process and offers more information to aid you in deciding if early entrance may be right for your child.

Click here to apply for whole grade acceleration to kindergarten or first grade (early entrance)

Please ensure your email address is entered correctly on your application!

You will be emailed a confirmation of your child's appointment date and time for evaluation within 2 business days. Please check your spam/junk folder if you have not received the email after 2 business days. Evaluation dates are limited due to the staff members needed to participate in the evaluation process.

Important dates for the 2025-2026 evaluation cycle:

• February 6, 2026 – Application window opens
• May 27-28, 2026 – Evaluations, by appointment only
• July 31, 2026 – Application window closes
• August 4-5, 2026 – Evaluations, by appointment only
• August 14 and 17, 2026 – First day of school

Please contact Rob Beidelman if you are a new resident to Fairfield City School District and would like to apply for early entrance to kindergarten or first grade outside of the above window.

Click the button to review the FCSD EL Hub.

FCSD EL Hub

Katie Pospisil, Coordinator of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction

(513) 858-7123

Students who wish to participate in the credit flexibility program will be required to complete a Credit Flexibility Application in which they will identify their educational goals, identify the standards they will demonstrate, and create a timeline for completion. The purpose of the credit flexibility option is to develop learners who plan their own research, learning objectives, and an academic agenda whereby they will attain those objectives outside a traditional classroom. The policy will provide a personalized educational opportunity for all students in which they will identify, acquire, and demonstrate the proficiency of their knowledge through standards to earn high school graduation credit. All Credit Flexibility Applications must be reviewed and approved by a committee of Fairfield City School District personnel. The Credit Flexibility Applications, which are available for download (below) and are also available in the Guidance Office, must be returned to the Guidance Office by August 1 for a full-year course or a first semester course and by December 1 for a second-semester course. 

 Click the links below to access the following: 

• Credit Flexibility Student Handbook
• Long Application Form - Use this form for distance learning, educational travel, independent study, internships, after school/tutorial program, or community service
• Short Application Form - Use this form for testing out of a class and online options
• Formulario de Solicitud Breve en Español - Utilize este formulario si desea la opción en línea o si desea tomar la evaluación equivalente a la clase

Learning to read is a major milestone in a young child’s life and fundamental for long-term success. However, for some children, the process of learning to read is extremely difficult and becomes a barrier to their academic and social emotional development. A large and converging body of research now shows that early identification of children who may experience reading difficulties is possible and focused intervention and remediation efforts are effective for reducing negative long-term impacts. The 133rd Ohio General Assembly passed legislation concerning the screening of and intervention for children with dyslexia, effective April 12, 2021.

Accordingly, and as reflected in the law, the recommended best practices and methods reflect a structured literacy approach across all levels of screening, instruction and intervention. This approach provides clear, explicit and systematic instruction for helping children understand the fundamental connections between sounds and letters, a concept referred to as the alphabetic principle. Children use this knowledge to map speech to print in order to spell, pronounce and store the meaning of words in memory, a cognitive process referred to as orthographic mapping. This ability to map speech to print is a core difficulty for students with dyslexia or dyslexic characteristics and tendencies and is a result of poorly developed or weak phonological awareness skills. Using a structured literacy approach can help activate and facilitate the orthographic mapping process for children experiencing difficulties as it helps children build their knowledge systematically and sequentially.

In response to the Dyslexia Law, Fairfield City Schools screens students at the beginning of the year in grade 1 with a tier 1 dyslexia screener. Students in grades 2-6 are screened upon parent/guardian/custodian or teacher request and when parent/guardian/custodian permission is granted. If screening indicates potential dyslexic tendencies, students will receive diagnostic testing for further insight into skill development needs and remediation. Students will then receive intervention and progress monitoring based upon those identified skills.

Click here for the Program of Studies

The Program of Studies will help students and parents plan high school courses.  This is not a process that should be taken lightly or done in a rushed fashion.  The courses you take in high school will provide you with the skills and understanding necessary to become a well-educated person, and they will provide the foundation for life beyond high school.  In addition to planning a schedule for next year, you should draft a plan for all four years of high school.  This draft will help you to see how the courses you take each year will prepare you to graduate from high school, college, and career-ready.

At both Fairfield Freshman School and Fairfield High School, the academic day is divided into seven class periods.  Each period is approximately 45 minutes in length.  Most courses are 36 weeks in length (two semesters) and are worth one credit.  Some courses, such as Health and a few electives, are 18 weeks long and are worth one-half credit.  Physical Education is an 18-week course, but by Ohio law, it is only worth one-fourth credit.

A study period (study hall) can be scheduled in place of a class if parents agree that this is in the student’s best interest or if schedule conflicts make it impossible for a student to take a needed course.  The school tries hard to avoid schedule conflicts, but they do occur.  Planning ahead can help to minimize the chance of schedule conflicts.

School Counselors

Developing an appropriate schedule is the shared responsibility of the home and the school.  Students and parents can seek guidance and assistance from teachers and counselors.  School counselors are helpful in advising families on topics such as preparation for college, identifying and preparing for other post-high school options, meeting NCAA course requirements for playing college sports, meeting the requirements for a high school vocational program, and selecting an appropriate list of courses for desired careers.  No question is too simple.  All questions can be directed to counselors, who welcome the opportunity to share information with students and parents.

The student’s last name determines the school counselor:

Fairfield Freshman School:
Mrs. Jessica Neal (A-L)
Mrs. Nicole Climer (M-Z)

Fairfield High School:
Mr. Zach Yates - A-B & Academy

Mrs. Tracy Ashford - C-F 

Ms. Kayla Rodgers - G-I & Butler Tech

Ms. DeAnna Owens Nelson - L-M 

Ms. Amanda Schur - P-Sd 

Ms. Heather Braun - Sp- Z

Mrs. Caroline Haynes - J, K, N, O & Se-So

Fairfield Academy:

Chrissy Zboril - Director

The Science of Reading is a comprehensive body of research that draws from years of scientific knowledge across various languages and contributions from experts in education, special education, literacy, psychology, neurology, and more. 

This research offers conclusive and empirically supported insights into how we learn to read, the essential skills involved, their interactions, and the brain regions responsible for reading development. Scarborough’s Reading Rope (Figure 1.1) demonstrates the many components needed to learn to read.

The National Reading Panel1, using decades of research has identified five critical areas of reading instruction:

• Phonemic Awareness
• Phonics
• Fluency
• Vocabulary
• Comprehension

In addition to these five areas, writing is also an essential component of our language arts curriculum. Writing deepens students' understanding of the content, promotes deeper comprehension, and supports retention.

In Fairfield City Schools, we continue to build upon a strong foundation of literacy instruction that is grounded in research, experience, and timely professional learning for all staff. Our K-5 literacy experience is differentiated to meet the needs of individual students. We believe in including explicit instruction of the word recognition skills along with the developing language comprehension through reading workshop and small group instruction in the classroom.

Georgine Bowman, Coordinator for State and Federal Programs

(513) 858-7124

Angie Isgro, Homeless Liaison

(513) 858-8567

Click here to visit the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce

Title I Programming

What is Title I? Title I is a federally funded program that is “intended to help ensure that all children have the opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach proficiency on challenging state academic standards and assessments” (Every Student Succeeds Act: U.S. Department of Education, 2015).

The focus of Title I is to promote significant improvements in schools and increase instruction time for students. This instructional time is in addition and is supplemental to the time the regular classroom teacher gives to each student. Pull-out as well as push-in class instruction is done with skills groups based on students' needs. Classes consist of a small group setting allowing more individual response time with immediate feedback.

Title I, Part A funds are distributed to school districts based on poverty data. Districts determine which eligible buildings are to participate based on federal requirements and local decisions. The purpose of this funding is to provide supplemental funding to economically disadvantaged districts and some of their eligible schools for improving educational outcomes for students.

Title I Handbook (English)

Spanish version

French version

Parent Involvement

Title I recognizes the importance of parental involvement to assure student success. Parents are encouraged to participate in teacher/parent workshops, curriculum nights, and open houses. These activities help parents to assist their children’s language and reading development at home.

Each Title I school's Parent Involvement Policy and School/Parent Compact outlines how parents, teachers, and students will work together to improve student achievement. These are voluntary agreements between the home and school to define goals, expectations and responsibilities of schools and parents as partners in education. These compacts are sent home and reviewed every year.

School and Parent Compact

Homeless Information

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Children and Youth Program was designed to make sure all homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free and appropriate public education as children and youth who are not homeless.

View or download A Parent’s Guide to the Rights of Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness from the file list below.

• Homeless Parent Guide
• Parent Right to Know Letter
• Title One Brochure

The links below contain information about the 2025 summer reading assignments for students entering 6th, 7th, and 8th grades in the 2025-2026 school year.   

???????Summer Reading 5th to 6th 2025

Summer Reading 6th to 7th 2025

Summer Reading 7th to 8th 2025

Summer reading and other summer assignments for students entering 9th-12th grades in 2025-26 are listed below.

Freshman Summer Reading 2025

2025 AP Lang 11 SUMMER.docx (Juniors)

2025 Honors English 11.docx

Honors 10

AP Lit (Seniors)

CCP English (Cincinnati State) Seniors

FAIRFIELD CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Rico Calles, Secondary Summer School Principal (grades 9-12)

(513) 942-2999

Lindsey Ferguson, Elementary Summer School Principal (grades K-5)

West (April 22-May 23) - (513) 829-3078

Central (May 26-June 27) - (513) 829-7979

Katie Pospisil, Coordinator of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction

(513) 858-7123

Georgine Bowman, Coordinator of Elementary Curriculum and Instruction

(513) 858-7124

Secondary Summer School Information:

Click the above link for more information about Secondary Summer School 2026.

Elementary Summer School Information:

Invitations to Elementary Summer School will be sent home through your child and also mailed. Only students receiving invitations will be able to register for the Summer School Program. Thank you.

Katie Pospisil, Coordinator of Secondary Curriculum & Instruction

(513) 858-7123

pospisil_k@fairfieldcityschools.com

• Alternate Assessment Grades 3-8
• Alternate Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (Alt-OELPA) Grades K-12
• End of Course Exams (EOC) Grades 9-12
• Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA)
• Ohio Diagnostic Tests Grades K-3
• Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (OELPA) Grades K-12
• Ohio English Language Proficiency Screener (OELPS) Grades K-12
• Ohio Graduation Tests Adult diploma programs
• Ohio State Tests (OST) Grades 3-8

Lauren Webb, Coordinator of Gifted Services

(513) 829-6300​​​​​​​

• Gifted Identification Assessments
• iReady

State Testing:

Kindergarten: KRA

Grade 2: CogAT (cognitive screening)

Grade 3: Fall ELA, Spring ELA and Math

Grade 4:  ELA and Math 

Grades 5:  ELA, Math and Science, CogAT (cognitive screening)

Grades 6:  ELA and Math 

Grade 7:  ELA and Math

Grade 8:  ELA, Math and Science

Grade 9 (typically):  Algebra I and American History

Grade 10 (typically):  ELA II, Geometry and Biology

Grade 11:  American Government

Grades Kindergarten-12 EL students: OELPA or Alt-OELPA

Please click here for more information regarding State Tests.

Please click here for Ohio's Learning Standards.

Graduation Requirements

Students graduating in 2023 and beyond are required to complete the following End of Course Exams:

American History

American Government

Geometry

Biology

With a competency score of 684:

Algebra 1

English Language Arts (ELA) 2

Please click here for more information on Ohio's Graduation Requirements

PARENT RESOURCES

Parent Information - Ohio Department of Education and Workforce

iReady Family Center

ACT Test Information

SAT Test Information

Georgine Bowman, Coordinator for State and Federal Programs

(513) 858-7124

Ohio's Third Grade Guarantee ensures that every struggling reader gets the support he or she needs to be able to learn and achieve. It is a support program that spans kindergarten through grade three. Under the guarantee, teachers assess each student's reading skills at the beginning of each school year. If a student is reading below grade level, the school creates a reading improvement plan for the child. That plan includes extra reading help right away and for as long as the child needs it.

It is important that families understand the urgency of ensuring that children develop proficient reading skills by the end of third grade. Children must be provided with personalized learning plans and intensive support. The early identification of students’ reading skills - through assessments, strong reading programs and additional support for struggling readers - together form a self-supporting system that leads to positive long-term outcomes of success. 

Students not reading at grade level by the end of third grade will be recommended for retention based on Ohio State Law, unless exempted. Parents will be notified and involved in the discussion of placement of their child for the following year.

Please click here for more information regarding the Third Grade Reading Guarantee