Gifted Program Info
The gifted and talented education program of the Fort Zumwalt School District is designed to meet the needs of academically gifted and talented students in grades K – 12. These students require services beyond those normally offered in the regular school program in order to more fully develop their abilities and to realize their contribution to self and society. Through participation in our program, students will be challenged through learning experiences geared to their level in small groups of peers, and guided by gifted learning specialists.
Mission Statement: The mission of the Fort Zumwalt Gifted Program is to create an environment in which each gifted child can reach his/her full potential.
Definition of Gifted: Students who demonstrate exceptional intellectual ability, academic achievement, and behavioral characteristics unique to gifted learners as evidenced by high performance on a standardized intelligence test, standardized achievements tests, and parent/teacher documentation including behavioral rating scales.
Rationale for Gifted Program Curriculum
Gifted students are entitled to an education commensurate with their abilities and potential, as are all students. We believe it is critical for this segment of the population to be involved in a program designed to foster the unique academic talents of bright learners. Therefore, gifted students with advanced knowledge and unusual learning capacity are offered curriculum that is differentiated and matched to their unique learning characteristics.
Those characteristics include the capacity to handle content at an advanced level and pace, the ability to explore areas in significant depth, the tendency to ask and grapple with difficult questions, the potential to respond creatively, and the desire to use leadership abilities to make a difference in the world.
Curriculum for gifted students is specifically designed to challenge academically advanced learners and provide experiences that promote critical thinking and reasoning skills, creativity and divergent thinking, research and independent study skills, communication, and interpersonal and affective skills. While engaged in high quality gifted services, the students will have the opportunity to contribute to the strength and vitality of our schools, district and community.
Content Area Goals
Students will:
- acquire a solid foundation in the disciplines of communication arts, mathematics, science, and social studies;
- operate at advanced levels within these disciplines;
- apply knowledge of disciplines to produce work that reflects individuality and creativity and is advanced in relation to other students of similar age and experience.
Performance Area Goals
Students will acquire the knowledge and skills in the areas of:
- Critical Thinking and Reasoning -gather, analyze, and apply information and ideas, and recognize and solve problems.
- Creativity and Divergent Thinking -think creatively and take academic risks.
- Research -persevere in the search for advanced knowledge and evaluate in-depth sources.
- Communication-communicate effectively within and beyond the classroom.
- Interpersonal and Affective Skills-work collaboratively with others and demonstrate positive character qualities.
- Organizational and Time Management-demonstrate task commitment and work steadily to achieve goals.
SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES
The six performance goals are further delineated in the following specific objectives.
GOAL 1: Critical Thinking & Reasoning Skills
Obj. 1: Grasp complex or abstract ideas
Obj. 2: Use logical reasoning and problem-solving skills
Obj. 3: Apply learned knowledge to new situations and different contexts
Obj. 4: Analyze relationships; judge between choices; support decisions
GOAL 2: Creativity & Divergent Thinking Skills
Obj. 1: Generate a large quantity and wide variety of possibilities and responses.
Obj. 2 : Design unique products; create innovative solutions
Obj. 3: Develop original ideas; elaborate and expand beyond the basic or obvious
Obj. 4 : Show willingness to try new experiences and take risks
GOAL 3: Research Skills
Obj. 1: Persevere in the search for advanced knowledge beyond first or basic answer
Obj. 2: Compile and evaluate in-depth material from a variety of valid sources
Obj. 3: Demonstrate proficiency in using technology to obtain/relay information
GOAL 4: Communication Skills
Obj. 1: Effectively communicate ideas and experiences through written formats
Obj. 2: Effectively communicate ideas and experiences orally
Obj. 3: Produce high-quality presentations that demonstrate accuracy and clarity
GOAL 5: Interpersonal and Affective Skills
Obj. 1: Demonstrate self-awareness of strengths and weaknesses; exercise personal responsibility; accept constructive criticism
Obj. 2: Listen effectively to others; respect and appreciate a variety of perspectives
Obj. 3: Contribute to and function effectively in a cooperative setting
Obj. 4: Demonstrate positive character qualities such as self-control, leadership and empathy
GOAL 6: Organizational & Time Management Skills
Obj. 1: Organize ideas and materials
Obj. 2: Demonstrate task commitment; work steadily to achieve goals on time
Obj. 3: Follow through to completion; provide full and complete products
BENCHMARKS
In order to ensure that students are continuing to develop these skills in an ongoing manner throughout their involvement in the program, general benchmark levels have been determined as explained below. Students are introduced to all key areas in the primary grades and continue to grow and mature in their application of those skills throughout their involvement in the gifted program. The progression of these performance skills is as follows:
Primary Grades (K-2) BEGINNING
Students are introduced to the skill areas and begin to apply the strategies.
Intermediate Grades (3-5) DEVELOPING AND EXPANDING
Students will progress in their development of the skills and show an expanded ability to utilize them.
Middle Grades (6-8) ELABORATING AND REFINING
Students further build their capacity to apply the skills and refine the techniques and methods they have learned.
High School (9-12) DEMONSTRATING ADVANCED PROFICIENCY
Students mature in their abilities and display a high level of competence and expertise in the skill areas.
Rather than quantifying the individual components of the key areas, students at all levels can be instructed and challenged in all of the areas, in an increasingly complex manner, and in accordance with their age and development, rather than having to wait until a higher grade level to be introduced to some of the important skills of the six key areas.