Brain Teasers/Riddles/Challenges

Project-Based Learning 

Choice Boards

Gifted Strategies

High School Gifted Strategies

3 Strategies for Supporting Gifted and Talented Students (National Inventors)

Universal Design for Learning

• • UDL Principles and Practices  (video 6:35)

  • Universal Design for Learning Guidelines: Designing Curriculum that works for all  (video 6:20)

  • Implementing UDL – the payoff! (video 3:33)

  • Universal Design for Learning Graphic Organizer

Want classroom support, help with planning, or just an extra set of hands for a project? Sign up for gifted coaching here!

Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG)

Myths and Characteristics of Gifted Learners

Social Emotional Learning: Teaching principles for creative, talented, and gifted students

Validation Before Acceleration

Check out what is in our area this summer! 

Northwestern offers on-line enrichment options.

Scholarships are available to help pay for enrichment programs.

Columbus Day Camps Guide

An appeal by the parent is the reconsideration of the result of any part of the identification process which would include: 

• Screening procedure or assessment instrument (which results in identification);

• The scheduling of children for assessment;

• The placement of a student in any program; and

• Receipt of services.

Parents should submit a letter to the superintendent or designee outlining the nature of the concern.

The superintendent or designee will convene a meeting with the parent/guardian, which may include other school personnel. The superintendent or designee will issue a written final decision within 30 days of the appeal. This written notice should include the reason for the decision(s).

The Wonderful but Weighty Challenges of Parenting a Gifted Child

Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted

Life of the Asynchronous Family

Gifted Social Emotional Resources

Students at the elementary level gifted in superior cognitive ability, creative thinking or academic ability will be placed with a minimum of 3 similarly identified students in a cluster group. The classroom teacher will write a Written Education Plan (WEP) outlining the goals and differentiation for each gifted student. Each gifted cluster has a learning environment where gifted students can grow academically, think deeply, and remain engaged, while experiencing advanced learning opportunities.

All gifted students are provided a Written Education Plan (WEP) to identify goals and differentiation to ensure instruction has approprite rigor, depth, and complexity.

Students identified as gifted at the middle school have a few options for gifted services:

• Gifted Cluster Group: Students identified in superior cognitive ability, creative thinking or academic ability may be placed with a minimum of 3 similarly identified students in a cluster group. 

• Compacted Classes: Students with qualifying scores may be eligible for acceleration into compacted classes. These are offered in reading, math, and science courses. The purpose of these classes is to offer more rigorous content at an accelerated pace.  More information can be found here. 

• Advanced Placement Classes (starting in 8th grade): These are advanced high school classes designed to prepare students for a national AP exam that may earn college credit.

• College Credit Plus Classes (starting in 7th grade): College Credit classes are actual college courses in which students may earn college credit by successfully completing the course.

The Grant Middle School Program of Studies can be found here.

All gifted students are provided a Written Education Plan (WEP) to identify goals and differentiation to ensure instruction has appropriate rigor, depth, and complexity.

There are several options for students to receive gifted services at the high school level:

• Honors Classes: These are advanced courses that provide students with increased academic challenge, deeper learning, and higher expectations than traditional grade-level classes. These courses are designed for students who are ready for a faster pace and more rigorous content.

• Advanced Placement Classes: These are college-level courses offered in high school that provide students with rigorous academic experiences and the opportunity to potentially earn college credit through AP exam performance.

• College Credit Plus Classes: These courses allow students to take actual college classes while in high school and potentially earn both high school and college credit at the same time.

Harding Program of Studies

Acceleration is an educational option that allows students to move through curriculum at a faster pace or access learning at a higher grade level when they demonstrate advanced readiness. Acceleration may include subject-based advancement, whole-grade acceleration, early kindergarten entrance (see below) or other options designed to match instruction to a student’s learning needs.

The MCS acceleration process can be viewed here. 

If you are a parent/guardian who would like to request acceleration, please fill out this referral form. 

If you are a staff member who would like to request acceleration, please fill out this referral form.

Early entrance to kindergarten is a process that allows children who demonstrate advanced readiness for school to be considered for admission before the standard age requirement. This option is designed for students who show exceptional academic, social, and developmental readiness for kindergarten. More information is provided here.

The district is in the process of looking at what additional enrichment options we can provide for our gifted students. 

Consider the VEX Robotics program at the middle school and the robotics program at the high school to integrate reading, math, and science into authentic engineering work! 

Visit the MCS Music Department website to explore musical enrichment opportunities!

The extracurricular department has been working hard to offer clubs at each school building! Visit this page to see what is being offered.

Contact the director at your building for more information:

Harding: Brent Rice brice@mcspresidents.org

Grant:  Jill Hecker jhecker@mcspresidents.org
Elementary: Brett McCrery bmccrery@mcspresidents.org

• How are students identified for gifted services?

  • The district accepts referrals, screens and identifies, or screens and reassesses students who perform or show potential for performing at high levels of accomplishment in  the areas of superior cognitive ability, specific academic ability, creative thinking ability, and/or visual and/or performing arts. 

• The district must follow policy and procedures established in Ohio Administrative Code 3301-51-15. These rules require districts to provide annual whole-grade testing at least once in the grade-band K-2 and once in the grade-band 3-5, and offer testing based on referrals at least twice per year in any gifted area.

• For more information, visit pg 5 of the District Identification and Service Plan

• What assessments or criteria are used?

  • The assessments and scores used to identify giftedness are listed in the District Identification and Service Plan. A comprehensive list of the assessments used are provided in the MCS Gifted Assessments document. 

• Can a child be gifted in one area but not another?

  • Yes! A child can be gifted in one or multiple areas, including specific academic ability (reading, math, social studies, or science), superior cognitive ability, creative thinking ability, and/or visual/performing arts. 

• Can parents request testing or referral?

  • Yes! To make a referral, please fill out the Gifted ID Referral Form.

• Is gifted support provided in the regular classroom, in pull-out services, or both?

  • Gifted support is provided within the whole-group classroom setting. These classrooms may be a gifted cluster group, compacted class, AP class, Honors class, or CCP course. All classrooms with gifted students provide advanced learning opportunities, increased challenge, and meaningful enrichment based on a student’s identified strengths. Please see the "services" section above to learn more. 

• Are gifted services available at every grade level?

  • Services for superior cognitive ability, specific academic ability, creative thinking ability, and/or visual and/or performing arts. 

• Will gifted services continue in middle school and high school?

  • Yes! Once a child is identified as gifted, they will remain gifted until they graduate. 

• What professional development do teachers receive on gifted learners?

  • All gifted service provider teachers complete annual pd. Teachers receive 15 hours of gifted professional development for the first four years of teaching gifted students and 6 hours every year after that. Professional development includes topics such as addressing social/emotional issues, differentiating instructional strategies, gifted characteristics, and how to write and implement Written Education Plans (WEPs). 

• How is the curriculum adjusted for gifted learners?

  • The curriculum is adjusted for gifted learners by providing greater depth, complexity, pace, and challenge. Students may work on advanced content, explore topics more deeply, move more quickly through material they have already mastered, and engage in enrichment, critical thinking, and problem-solving opportunities that match their learning needs.

• How do you know whether my child is challenged enough?

  • We monitor student progress through classroom performance, assessments, observations, and student engagement to ensure learning remains appropriately challenging. A student who is being challenged should show growth, think deeply, solve complex problems, and remain actively engaged in learning. Teachers also adjust instruction as needed to match each student’s strengths and learning needs.

• Is acceleration an option, and how is that decision made?

  • Acceleration is an appropriate option for some students whose instructional needs cannot be met in the general classroom. Acceleration could advance a student a whole grade, or for one or more subjects. This decision would be made as a team, including the classroom teacher, principal, gifted coordinator, and possibly the school psychologist. Classroom observations, classroom performance, and test scores are part of the discussion to determine if acceleration is right for your child. 

• How does the school support the social-emotional needs of gifted students?

  • The school supports the social-emotional needs of gifted students by recognizing that they may experience learning, friendships, and emotions differently from their peers. Teachers and staff provide encouragement, understanding, opportunities for peer connection, and support for challenges such as perfectionism, stress, sensitivity, and asynchronous development. Creating a safe, supportive, and appropriately challenging learning environment helps gifted students thrive both academically and emotionally. Please reach out to your child's classroom teacher if you feel your child needs support with social-emotional development. 

• How do you help gifted students develop resilience when work becomes difficult?

  • We help gifted students build resilience by encouraging them to take on meaningful challenges, learn from mistakes, and view effort as an important part of growth. Teachers provide support, feedback, and opportunities for productive struggle so students can develop perseverance, confidence, and problem-solving skills when learning becomes more demanding.

• How does the school support students who are both gifted and have learning or emotional challenges?

  • The school supports twice-exceptional students by recognizing and addressing both their strengths and their areas of need. Staff work to provide appropriate challenge, individualized supports, and a learning environment that helps students grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Collaboration among teachers, specialists, and families helps ensure students receive services that support the whole child.

• How does the district ensure gifted identification is equitable?

  • The District Identification and Service Plan outlines several efforts taken by MCS to ensure equity in gifted education:

    • Use of alternative intelligence tests, including nonverbal testing

    • Use of a rolling window for referrals for any student within the district, as well as transfer students, upon enrollment

    • Individual consultation with teachers regarding the characteristics of underserved populations

    • Whole grade reading and math testing multiple times per year in a large range of grade levels to ensure each student is assessed

    • Modifications aligned to testing manuals to ensure accommodations are made for those who require them

• A variety of possible test measures in order to meet the needs of the population served within the district

• How will I know what my child is doing in gifted services?

  • Families are kept informed through teacher communication, progress reports, classroom work, and opportunities to discuss student learning and growth. We value strong home-school communication and encourage families to reach out with questions about gifted services, goals, and student progress.

• Who should I contact if I have concerns or questions?

  • If you have questions about the gifted program, testing, or gifted services, please contact:

Katie Owens, Gifted Support Specialist, kowens@mcspresidents.org

• • If you have questions about your child's instruction or academic performance, please contact:

Your child's teacher