MSAD #51

Welcome:

Welcome to MSAD 51's website for Gifted & Talented (GT) Services. We hope you find this resource useful, and that it addresses your questions regarding giftedness, and gifted and talented education in our district. Please feel free to contact one of our staff members if you have questions related to giftedness or programming that are not answered here. 

District Philosophy:

MSAD #51's mission is to guide all students as they acquire enthusiasm for learning, assume responsibility for their education, achieve academic excellence, and discover and attain their personal best.

Gifted & Talented Services Philosophy:

Our philosophy is aligned with the MSAD 51’s mission, in that we aim to aid students in attaining academic excellence and their personal best. As a district, we recognize the unique intellectual abilities of all students, and that many require differentiated instruction. Giftedness has been described as “a greater awareness, a greater sensitivity, and a greater ability to understand and to transform perceptions into intellectual and emotional experiences" (Roeper, 1982). 

Children who exhibit characteristics of giftedness require instruction that will enhance their talents, and enable them to reach their optimal cognitive and creative potential. Gifted and talented students often require differentiation that is difficult to replicate on a large scale, and in regular education settings. Chapter 104 of Maine's Educational Rules states, “Gifted and talented children need to be challenged to develop their abilities and potential; therefore, specialized curricula that are advanced, conceptually complex and carefully differentiated from regular curricula shall be provided in lieu of the regular curricula” (Chapter 104, Part 2, Section 04). Our services are also designed to support identified students’ unique social-emotional needs.