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Like most school districts in Virginia and elsewhere, in-class differentiation is the cornerstone of Salem’s gifted program. In broad terms, this means that the gifted education staff works with classroom teachers to ensure that appropriate challenge is being offered. Teachers may use such strategies as open-ended questions, self-directed tasks, and higher-level critical and analytical thinking in both independent and group tasks.
In grades K-5, the gifted education specialist may also additionally serve the identified student by pulling him/her out of class for enrichment in a small group setting and/or by working in the classroom with the instructor in a co-teaching manner.
In grades 6-8, the gifted education specialist works primarily with the classroom teachers of the gifted to provide resources and assist with curricular differentiation, sometimes even coteaching to model appropriate gifted strategies.
Beginning with the 9th grade, students self-select specialized classes, dual enrollment courses, and the AP curriculum. Within this framework, a continuum of growth in students’ skills and intellectual development should exist.
An additional component of Salem’s Gifted Program consists of workshops and seminars that enrich and extend the schools’ programs of study. These sessions, which may occur both in and outside the school day, are based on the interests and needs of the students involved. Several workshops are offered each semester differentiated by grade level and/or program placement
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