Gifted Education

The Gifted Support program at the elementary school level is designed to meet the academic strengths of students identified as gifted learners. The elementary gifted model seeks to develop both the cognitive and affective domains of gifted students. Activities are embedded with performance skills that are tied to the above grade level Pennsylvania state standards. Performance skills include: information processing, problem solving, critical thinking, communication, and responsibility. Students work both individually and in small groups to access and apply information. Depending on grade level and individual needs, most identified students meet with the Gifted Education teacher for 30-90 minutes per 6-day cycle. At this time, gifted peers work cooperatively on engaging, hands-on activities that address the higher level thinking skills of applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.

In an effort to promote a growth mindset, gifted learners are regularly challenged to venture beyond their comfort zone to make new discoveries. In order to encourage risk-taking, divergent thinking, and in-depth exploration without fear of failure, performance in the gifted support classroom is evaluated, but ungraded. Progress on gifted goals is reported annually in your child's GIEP.

Math and English Language Arts (ELA) programs at the elementary level are differentiated to meet the needs of students who are approaching grade level, on grade level, or beyond grade level. When assessments indicate readiness for challenge beyond the Common Core Curriculum, differentiated instruction occurs within the classroom setting. Based on criteria that may include classroom performance, district assessments, and teacher recommendation, some gifted students may meet with the gifted support teacher for additional curricular enrichment sessions.

Opportunities to discuss the social-emotional component of giftedness and demonstrate leadership qualities are frequently addressed in the gifted classroom setting. Students in the upper grades with specific academic interests are encouraged to participate in various extracurricular opportunities, including the Chester County Reading Olympics, the Scripps Spelling Bee, and the UCFSD Math 24 Challenge.

At Charles F. Patton Middle School, our Gifted Education program nurtures students’ exceptional intellectual abilities while aligning with Pennsylvania’s Chapter 16 mandates. Our curriculum extends learning, fosters critical thinking, and provides enrichment tailored to students’ needs.

Students with a Gifted Individualized Education Plan (GIEP) take Gifted Literacy in place of standard literacy in sixth grade, meeting four out of six cycle days for compacted instruction in advanced reading and writing. Additionally, they attend Gifted Resource sessions two out of six cycle days for enrichment.

In seventh grade, students take Gifted Non-Fiction Writing four out of six cycle days, focusing on analytical and advanced writing skills. Like in sixth grade, they also participate in Gifted Resource two out of six cycle days for additional enrichment.

Eighth-grade students with a GIEP can take quarterly Gifted Resource or Enrichment classes, meeting four out of six days per cycle, in engaging topics such as debate and discussion, architecture, philosophy, and ecology.

Throughout all grades, GIEP goals are addressed in core classes through differentiated extension and enrichment opportunities, ensuring that gifted students receive appropriate challenges within their regular coursework.

The Gifted Education program at the high school consists of two distinct components: gifted education services and support. Gifted education is provided through the use of a GIEP, which documents the student’s exceptional needs beyond that which we provide in our general education curriculum and creates a plan through specially-designed instruction to ensure that the student has opportunities to develop his/her intellectual potential. Students who find themselves appropriately challenged by their courses will no longer have a GIEP, but may continue to access the Gifted Education room for support services. If a student’s needs change, the GIEP team reconvenes and reassesses what services are necessary to ensure the student is appropriately challenged.

The UHS Gifted Education Program offers one elective class that is available to all high-achieving 9th grade students. Based on enrollment, two sections will be offered: a regular education class open to any student with an active or inactive GIEP, and a gifted education class open only to students with active GIEPs. Students with active GIEPs enrolled in the gifted section will have Short-term Learning Objectives (STLOs) or Specially-Designed Instruction (SDIs) for engagement in the Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) concepts related to their individual enrichment needs.

All identified students may utilize the Gifted Education room for college search and application guidance, curricular support, enrichment opportunities, and other individual support needs. Students are encouraged to proactively schedule conferences, touching base regarding their academic progress to ensure that they continue working productively to meet their gifted education and personal objectives. Students’ progress is routinely monitored to assess the appropriateness of their academic placements and to suggest growth opportunities, which will allow students to work to develop to their fullest potential. Enrichment and acceleration opportunities for those students with a GIEP are individually tailored and include a combination of specially-designed instruction techniques constructed to provide the student increased challenge beyond course requirements. Additionally, students learn to recognize their emotional responses that may act as barriers to their learning and discuss strategies to help them manage any affective needs.