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Gifted & Talented Program
Goals of the Gifted & Talented Program
- To offer a rigorous program which provides subject content that is accelerated and enriched
- To use instructional strategies which are modified to meet the unique needs of highly able students
- To increase the variety and quality of student products
Gifted & Talented Program Courses
The Gifted & Talented Program offers four courses. Science and social studies are enriched classes. English and math are both accelerated and enriched. Please see this link for detailed information about the GT classes at each grade level.
Instructional Seminars
GT Instructional Seminars are designed to extend student interests beyond general exploratory experiences. Students develop a broad range of advanced-level skills in an area of chosen interest. Seminars include Book Club, Debate Film Production, and Shakespeare.
Identification for Gifted & Talented Classes—Fall, 2011
Students who are new to Howard County will be tested, if requested, when enrolled at Burleigh Manor.
The Howard County Public School System sponsors an open nomination period for students who are new to Howard County Public Schools for participation in G/T classes.
The nomination period is from August 19 - September 16.
All nominations must be submitted to Mr. Lee, GT Resource Teacher, by September 16, 2011. Parents will be notified of test results by September 20.
Please email (or send a note) to Mr. Lee at dlee@hcpss.org to request testing.
In the email subject heading, enter Testing.
In the body of the email or note, enter the following:
- Student Name
- Current Grade
- Previous School (before enrolling in HCPSS)
The Howard County Public School System has standardized identification procedures for GT class placements. If you wish your child to be considered for a GT class next year that he or she is not currently taking, the student MUST be tested in January. This is the only time testing and subsequent placement reviews will take place for current Howard County students.
Request GT Testing — Winter, 2012
Any Current 6th & 7th Grade Students May Request Testing for GT Classes Next Year (2012-2013)
The Howard County Public School System will accept nominations to test students who are currently in 6th and 7th grades for possible participation next year in GT classes. The nomination period is open from November 29, 2011 - December 8, 2011. Students currently enrolled in the Howard County Public School System may be tested (and subsequently may request a placement review) once each year and will not be tested outside of the January testing window.
Students NOT Currently Taking any GT Class
Parents and teachers may nominate for testing students not currently taking any GT classes.
Current G/T Students
Students currently taking a GT class in middle school are eligible to take that class next year and do not need to be retested for that class. However, a parent or teacher may nominate a current GT student to be tested for a new GT class that he or she is not currently taking.
All nominations for testing must be submitted to Mr. Lee, GT Resource Teacher, no later than December 8, 2011.
Testing is scheduled to take place on a date to be scheduled between January 24, 2012 and February 10, 2012.
Register your 6th or 7th grade student to take the GT test.
Placement Reviews Following Testing
Identification for GT classes may under certain circumstances involve a placement review. Parents of students whose GT test scores do not support placement - but who are motivated in their course work to move beyond recall of information presented through instruction to apply high levels of abstract reasoning and inferential thinking in their work - may request a placement review. Placement reviews may be requested only after test results have been distributed. Students for whom a review is requested should give evidence in their current course, through superior work and class participation, that they use outstanding abstract reasoning skills to construct thorough and well developed responses in written assignments, projects, and discussions - over and above what is expected of
on-grade-level students. A written request for a placement review must be emailed or submitted to Mr. Lee by April XX, 2012. All placement reviews are required to be completed and a report of placement review decisions is due to the HCPSS Central Office by April XX. No placement review requests will be accepted after April XX, 2012.
Students who are selected for GT placement will have work samples that demonstrate that they use advanced level abstract reasoning skills in the subject; that they understand at an advanced level the relationships between the concepts presented in the materials; and that in evaluating and interpreting the material, they take a position which is supported by facts and information from the text they have read.
Parents of students new to Howard County may initiate this review in the fall after the student has been tested for participation in GT content classes.
Curriculum in GT Classes Is Differentiated
Curriculum and instruction in GT classes will be differentiated to meet the needs of advanced learners. Content differentiation, or what students learn, will be more in-depth, require more prior knowledge, and instruction will be faster paced. Process differentiation, or how students learn, will require that students complete more independent background reading and participate more frequently in analytical and evaluative activities. Product differentiation, or demonstrating what students have learned, will require that students complete higher level and more in-depth products to show their mastery of the curriculum.
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