MACC (Multi Age Cluster Class)

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Multi Age Cluster Class is a Vancouver-based gifted education program meant to enrich the regular curriculum for students in grades 4-7 commonly referred to as MACC (Pronounced as "Mack"). The admissions process involves several steps where a child's suitability for the program is evaluated. A student is referred by their original school for consideration for admission. Children seen as suitable candidates are invited to attend the "Pre-MACC Experience", a two-day session held at a Vancouver School Board school. After that, students who are seen as candidates are invited to spend two days in the classroom at the school they would potentially attend. Offers of admission are based on this final step. A certain I.Q. score is not needed to be accepted into the program, but instead the student must have a gifted mind and be able to "think outside the box". The program emphasizes the creation of lifelong learners.

1 Location
2 Autonomous Learning
3 Scale Scores and Grades
4 Events and Projects
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Location

Currently, there are four schools with MAC classes in Vancouver, British Columbia that are administered by the Vancouver School Board (VSB). Two schools offers a grade 5/6/7 MACC class: Sir William Osler Elementary School. Lord Nelson Elementary School has only a 5/6/7 MACC class, while Tecumseh Elementary School and Queen Mary Elementary School offer a grade 4/5 and a grade 6/7 MACC class. However, there are other MACC programs outside Vancouver, such as Berkshire Park Elementary School and Bayridge Elementary School in Surrey, which is in the Lower Mainland region. Numerous times, students have been shifted back and forth between programs and spaces due to regional and spacial concerns. There also also used to be a high school MACC program in Kitsilano Secondary School.

[edit] Autonomous Learning

Autonomous learning is extremely important in the MACC program. Everything is very independent, and everyone works at his or her own pace. For example, in math you start on the level textbook you are at, and you study and take tests and pass the units. The class parties (or socials) are also autonomous.

[edit] Scale Scores and Grades

In the MACC class there are no letter grades. Students work with the teacher to create the report card. And for other work they have scale scores. 4 is outstanding/exceeds expectations, 3 is very good/fully meets expectations, 2 is satisfactory(basic)/meets expectations, and 1 is incomplete/not yet within expectations. C is late, however completed and submitted, IP is work in progress, and finally NA is not applicable.

[edit] Events and Projects

In the MACC class there are many long term projects. The first is the Evening of Eminence, where the grades 4-7 create a project subjected over an eminent (important) person. Depending on your grade, you may do an eminent person anywhere around the world, or in Canada only. The MACC classes go to the H.R. MacMillan Space Center, where they display their eminent person along with everybody else. There are several projects in between that, but the other main ones are the Science Fair (done not only by the MACC class, but by the whole school), Historica, and PIP (Personal Interest Project). Some people are chosen to attend the Science World Science Celebration and also the Vancouver District Science Fair (VDSF) in March. In 2007, 5 projects were chosen to go to the VDSF, and all were chosen to move on to the Greater Vancouver Regional Science Fair (GVRSF), which features projects from Bowen Island to Langley. Next up is Historica, a project based on events or people in Canadian History. About 200 people get chosen to go to the regional Historica Fair, and out of them one person gets chosen to go to the nationals. Every MACC student gets to display their project among others in the Celebration of Learning hosted below the Vancouver Library Square.