EXceptional Pupils Adding New Dimensions
Develop skills and strategies for critical and creative thought.
Foster communication skills necessary for producing ideas.
Encourage students to think for themselves.
Expose students to research skills and explore resources for developing their own interests and expertise.
To enhance the understanding of personal needs as well as the needs of others.
The ultimate goal of the Monroe-Woodbury Central School District is to identify the educational needs of each child in the system and to provide appropriate learning opportunities. In keeping with this goal, our Gifted and Talented programs view each student as having the potential for applying their abilities to developing their talent. Our aim is to continuously identify and successfully nurture these capabilities in our student body in order to:
Challenge children to achieve their educational potential.
Encourage sharing one's talents with others.
Enhance self-esteem.
Students in grades 3-12 are identified for program invitation. Using the USOE (Federal) Marland definition of gifted/talented, we identify the areas of:
Intellectual Ability
Specific Academic Achievement (both Math and Language Arts)
Creativity
Leadership
Visual and Performing Arts
Psychomotor/Kinesthetic
A variety of instruments are used to identify students for participation in the EXPAND programs. These may include combinations of any of the following: teacher, parent, peer or self-nomination; past accomplishment forms; standardized tests; portfolio review; behavioral scales; creativity tests; and observation/interviews. Matrices are used to determine eligibility in each area. An appeal process is available for students who demonstrate advanced talents, yet do not perform well on standardized tests.