Gifted Education

Gifted Education

Gifted students require a differentiated education because of their unique potential and needs. They require educational experiences in higher level thought processes: analysis, evaluation and synthesis.

The delivery model for the elementary program is the resource room. The resource room provides an opportunity for gifted students to develop thinking, affective skills, communication, research, and independent inquiry skills in all areas of the curriculum. The curriculum focuses on interdisciplinary enrichment activities. Young gifted children are exposed to a variety of content areas as many of them have gifts in many areas and their "specialties" have not yet been defined.

Douglas County's middle school gifted education program is multifaceted. In keeping with state guidelines and using Georgia's Performance Standards, the program's goal is to provide experiences that service the needs of the identified gifted students by strengthening the students' higher order thinking skills while nurturing their creative abilities. Additionally, the gifted education teachers serve as a resource for classroom teachers as they modify curriculum to meet the individual needs of gifted children within the setting of the regular classroom via compacting, acceleration, and enrichment. Gifted services should be provided according to students' area of giftedness. Gifted learners should be assessed for proficiency on a regular basis and subsequently provided with appropriate instruction. For all gifted content courses, the first priority for instruction is to meet regular Georgia Performance Standards. In addition, courses include greater emphasis on technology, research, and critical thinking. In developing the curriculum for each course, the overriding goal has been for gifted children to achieve in ways not always possible in the regular classroom.

The high school program likewise has as its primary goal to challenge appropriately all students to their optimal level of success. The program includes the Honors Program, Advanced Placement, and Joint Enrollment.