Special Reading Initiatives
Since 2008, Madrid has had a regional initiative that includes school competitions and contests. Concurso de Narración y Recitado de Poesía (Narration and Poetry Reciting Contest) fosters reading skills and develops linguistic communication competency.30 This contest targets fifth grade students and aims to promote the practice of methodological innovation activities and deepen the learning of the linguistic communicative competency through oral and written expression. During the 2015−2016 school year, 269 students participated, and it is estimated that 280 students will participate in 2016−2017.
In the 2013–2014 school year, the Madrid community started an English oratory contest (Concurso de Oratoria en Inglés) with 345 students.31 The objective is to stimulate the improvement of oral communication and English language competence for students in fifth and sixth grade. The second English oratory contest was in 2014–2015 with 429 students.
In the 2015–2016 school year, 232 students started a Spanish oratory contest (I Concurso de Oratoria en Primaria), and it is estimated that 324 students will participate in 2016–2017.
Madrid has a program of educational enrichment for high achieving primary and secondary students (Programa de Enriquecimiento Educativo para Alumnos con Altas Capacidades), and for 2016–2017 it is estimated 950 primary education students will benefit from it.32 Voluntary and free of charge, the program is conducted outside school every other Saturday throughout the year. Students are offered activities and learning contexts that complement the activities done in school.
For Baccalaureate high achieving students, there is an option called Baccalaureate of Excellence (Bachillerato de Excelencia) focused on students who have special motivation in scientific knowledge, arts, technologies, and their own methodologies. For low achievers at the secondary level, an option called Programa Refuerza (Reinforcement and Support Program) aims to improve academic results by reinforcing and complementing learning.