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PROGRAM RATIONALE
The rationale underlying the for Academically Gifted Students in the Muscogee
County School District, is essentially the same as that for all students, i.e.,
that each student receives educational experiences appropriate to his/her
individual abilities, interests and learning styles. Individual uniqueness of
the gifted student is respected and provided through a differentiated curriculum
of content, process and product. Through the differentiation of more advanced,
more mature and more sophisticated content, processes, and products, the gifted
student is able to meet challenges far beyond the regular classroom.
PROGRAM GOALS
The goals of the Gifted Education Program are designed to provide enrichment and
acceleration and to foster within each student, the attitudes and skills
necessary for the attainment of future goals and to become producers of
knowledge and of fine and performing arts.
REFERRAL and GIFTED
IDENTIFIED PROCEDURES
The Muscogee County School District
makes gifted education referral and eligibility information available to all
interested persons through newsletters and other public announcements. Go to
the eligibility link to look at criteria and process.
The gifted education department will notify
parents/guardians in writing of the child's referral and will obtain
their written consent for formal assessment. Written consent of parent is
necessary before eligible students can receive gifted education services.
RESOURCE
MODEL: GRADES K - 5
Teachers certified in gifted education serve
elementary students one day per week for 5 to 6 contact hours or for a minimum
of 270 minutes while attending The St. Elmo Gifted Education Center. If
attending or accepted to Hannan Elementary Magnet Academy, which is also a part
of the MCSD Gifted Education Department, the student will be under the
supervision of a gifted education endorsed teacher every day (transportation is
provided). The curriculum of interdisciplinary thematic units are based
on the Georgia Performance Standards based in science, mathematics and
humanities, while integrating fine arts, vocational awareness, and technology.
Elementary school students attending St. Elmo Gifted Education Center
will be bused to the center to receive enrichment, differentiated and high level
critical thinking lessons according to gifted standards. Activities provide
students the opportunity to extend learning in research and reference,
communication and technology, and defining personal learning goals and
monitoring progress toward achieving them. Materials and equipment are selected
to meet sequential and developmental needs of the gifted identified student.
RESOURCE MODEL: GRADES 6 – 8
Students in grades 6 - 8 are should be served
with one or two segments per day during scheduled daily classes. Students are
placed on an academic team where they receive direct instruction in various
content areas from a teacher certified in the area of gifted. The middle school
teachers differentiate the curriculum to meet the needs of the gifted learners
and document program resources and procedures in their lesson plans. Gifted
education teacher leaders collaborate with other gifted certified teachers in
the schools to ensure that gifted identified students receive the mandated state
lessons. The Resource Model, the Cluster Grouping model, or the Collaborative
Teaching model and the Advanced Content Model are the delivery models that are
used in the middle school setting.
FACILITATOR/ADVANCED PLACEMENT
MODEL: GRADES 9 – 12
Honors classes provide differentiation in instruction for gifted identified
students in the high school setting. These classes, scheduled in compliance
with the Georgia Performance Standard objectives for grade level, are
preparatory to Advanced Placement courses for students in grades in 10 -12
grades. Students are served by gifted certified teachers for a minimum of five
segments or 300 minutes instructional time per week. Some of these classes
could be on an A/B schedule, meaning the students would meet on alternating days
and half a period on Friday. Advanced Placement Education Services also
provides a minimum of five segments per week of differentiation for gifted
identified students through acceleration. Advanced placement courses, offered
through the College Board, Advanced Placement Education Services, allow students
to complete college-level courses while still in secondary school. Identified
gifted students may be approved for advanced placement studies in one or more
academic content areas (mathematics, science, social studies, English, and
foreign language). Teachers for these courses are certified in their appropriate
content area. A written contract described in the facilitator delivery model
should be required. The contact time specifies the segment(s) the student is
scheduled into accelerated classes, and teacher's record planned instructional
objectives, indicating how they differentiate instruction for the identified
gifted students. These delivery systems earn gifted funding weight when the
facilitator model requirements are met. Opportunities such as the IB Programme
that is housed at Hardaway High School is a rigorous pre-university course of
studies that meets the needs of highly motivated secondary school students. The
IB magnet programme is open to all highly motivated academically focused
Muscogee County students who meet selective admissions criteria for entrance
into the ninth-grade Pre-IB program. All the other high schools in Muscogee
County has a magnet program with Columbus High School being a full liberal arts
magnet school.
CONTINUATION POLICY
Continuation requires that a student maintain
satisfactory performance in the gifted education service offered and in regular
education as noted by regular attendance, active participation, appropriate
conduct and attitude for learning, completion of assignments, and acceptable
academic achievement. The regular classroom teacher and gifted education
teacher share the responsibility of communicating with each other concerning a
student's progress. Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration
and final decisions for continuation rest with the gifted education department
and parents/guardian. If a parent/guardian chooses to remove the student from
the program services will be discontinued and re-evaluation and possible
retesting would be required.
CERTIFICATION OF PERSONNEL
State guidelines require that full
time gifted program teachers and coordinators of gifted services meet
professional gifted certification requirements prior to beginning work in gifted
education. Advanced Placement Education Services teachers need certification in
their appropriate content areas.