Pinelands Regional School District

GATE Program Continuum of Services

Gifted and twice-exceptional students of Pinelands Regional are provided a variety of services to meet their unique academic and social-emotional needs. In the Junior High School, gifted and twice-exceptional students are in homogeneously grouped gifted and talented education (GATE) classes for their core content subjects (math, science, social studies, and English). For the remainder of the day gifted and twice-exceptional students are matriculated into heterogeneously grouped classes.

In addition to grouping, our Junior High School GATE program provides enrichment and acceleration. The GATE math class is accelerated by one full year as compared to the general-level courses. By eighth-grade, all of our gifted and twice-exceptional students are enrolled in Algebra I. In terms of enrichment, the GATE classes are provided opportunities to learn outside of the traditional classroom environment. Our GATE students: visit cities such as New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. to explore their history and culture (these trips include tours of historic areas and participation in culturally significant events such as attendance at a Broadway show); venture into the local environment to participate in World Water Monitoring Day to learn about the ecosystem and sustainability; hear from guest speakers such as local authors who discuss the writing process, implement writer’s labs, and inspire the students; and, the GATE program members visit/tour at least one prestigious university to explore their offerings and discuss future goals.

At the high school level, GATE students are earmarked to participate in Advanced Placement (AP) classes, Pre-AP courses, Dual Enrollment courses, and our two in-district academies (Biomedical and Humanities/Law). Furthermore, our High School GATE students may participate in many of the enrichment opportunities provided to the Junior High School program. Educators in both schools have been trained in differentiation and use this technique to meet the needs of gifted and twice-exceptional students in all of their classes. Every curriculum in the district includes modifications specific to the course and unit/topic of study for gifted and twice-exceptional students. In this manner, we ensure that our gifted and twice-exceptional students receive a continuum of educational services specific to their needs regardless of the courses in which they elect to enroll.