Gifted & Talented (GEL)
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
As a community, Farmington Schools believe the following regarding programming for our gifted and talented students:
- Gifted students have the ability to learn, think, and perform at levels remarkable higher than chronological peers and deserve to be challenged at a level that ensures continued growth and enhancement of their abilities.
- Instruction and curriculum must be differentiated to meet the unique needs of gifted learners in every class, in every part of their school day and is a shared responsibility of classroom teachers and G/T teachers.
- Giftedness can be demonstrated in a variety of ways and opportunities to pursue challenges in both academic areas as well as the fine arts is essential for students to find success in school and life.
- Because giftedness knows no boundaries of age, gender, race, religion or socioeconomic status; multiple measures of identification must be utilized to identify student eligibility for service, with multiple opportunities for referral throughout a student’s academic career.
- Gifted programming must support gifted students unique social and emotional needs as well as academic.
- Meeting the needs of gifted students should represent shared responsibility of school, families and community.
- We have a responsibility to provide a wide range of programming that is consistent across grade levels and buildings and encourages families to enroll their children in Farmington Schools.
- Teachers should be given the opportunity to advance their understanding of the unique needs of gifted students and opportunities to develop curriculum and instruction that specifically meets student needs.
Administrators, teachers, parents and community members will work together to identify, using multiple criteria, exceptional learners that demonstrate intellectual, creative and leadership abilities beyond expectations of their chronological age. We will ensure an experience in school that guarantees differentiated instruction in a rigorous environment designed to support and challenge gifted students intellectual, creative, social and emotional needs, producing self-directed lifelong learners and leaders.
LEVEL OF SERVICES MODEL
Farmington Public Schools GEL Program Educators work together with classroom teachers to meet the needs of its high potential learners through a variety of services. GEL educational opportunities are provided to students both in the regular classroom through our cluster model where differentiation is the foundation of our program and through the "pull-out" GEL classroom using the level of services model.
Level 1 Services ………..Services for ALL students……..in the regular classroom...
The classroom teacher challenges students within the regular classroom and needs are met through individualized instruction using flexible grouping, differentiated instruction, challenging academic content and skill development, as well as extra classroom opportunities, such as field trips, guest speakers, art adventure, etc…
Level 2 Services ……Services for MANY students….within and outside the regular classroom...
These services are often determined by teacher referral, personal or parent choiceand include enrichment opportunities within and outside of the school day, such as Junior Great Books, Continental Math League, Accelerated Reader, Science Fair, Destination Imagination, Lego League, Math Masters, Spelling Bee, Creativity Festival, Author’s Fair, book clubs, etc…
Level 3 Services…………………….Services for SOME students…….. outside the regular classroom
These services are designed to meet the need for extra challenge and enhanced learning. Students with these needs are eligible based on multiple criteria. Students are generally served in groups with those of similar ability. These services include GEL pull-out classes, cluster classrooms (in some schools) grades 3-5 (daily opportunity), enrichment math and/or literacy groups, math acceleration at the middle school level, advanced placement and/or honors classes.
GEL pull-out classes are in all schools and focus on critical and creative thinking, service learning, emotional needs of gifted learners, higher level problem solving and research. Each building focuses on various topics for in-depth study, with some focus on student interest.
Level 4 Services……………… Services for a FEW students……… forms of individualized instruction.
These services are for those whose academic needs are significantly different from their peers and need individualized instruction through things like: early entrance option (kindergarten), single subject grade acceleration, grade acceleration, mentorships, etc
ELEMENTARY ADVANCED MATH OPTION
Fourth and fifth grade teams and the GEL program are working together to provide an advanced math opportunity for those students whose NWEA Math achievement levels are consistently at the 91% or above and math work in the classroom demonstrate a need for more advanced content in mathematics.
This program is an enriched, fast-paced program which compresses our curriculum’s content standards and provides advanced content opportunities. Students participating in advanced math will compress the curriculum of grades 4-6 over two years.
Fourth graders will be using both the fourth and fifth grade math texts, as students go a bit deeper into the content material, as well as additional resources from the National Council of Teaching Mathematics. Fifth graders will be using, both the fifth grade and sixth grade texts, as well as additional resources from the National Council of Teaching Mathematics and M3, another advanced math resource.