GIFTED SERVICES

Gifted services provided through the Scholars Academy are intended to exceed the minimum requirements prescribed by the Georgia Department of Education that at least five segments a week be provided to eligible students. The state has four approved delivery models, and the Scholars Academy currently utilizes a combination of three of these models:

  • Cluster Grouping: The resource class model is available at the Scholars Academy through the Odyssey of the Mind elective class. This course is taught by a gifted certified teacher. Enrollment in this class provides the minimum number of required segments which the Scholars Academy strives to exceed. Students select this class through the registration process at the end of the year.

  • Advanced Content: It is the vision of the Scholars Academy to eventually provide the majority of the academic curriculum through the Advanced Content model. This model allows students who are identified as gifted to be served in academic content classes along with students who are not identified as gifted but who have demonstrated exceptional ability and motivation in a particular content area.

  • Collaborative Teaching: It is our goal to eventually have all of our teachers gifted certified as the majority are already. Several of our staff members are currently enrolled in a cohort through RESA which will lead to certification in gifted education. Most of our classes are Advanced Content or Cluster Grouping; however, the Collaborative Teaching model allows our gifted certified faculty to co-plan and collaborate with teachers who do not yet have gifted certification. Together these teachers plan challenging assignments which substitute for or extend the core objectives which the gifted student has already mastered.

While we attempt to differentiate instruction in all of our classes to meet the student’s gifted needs, the system claims the gifted FTE weight (funding) only for classes that meet the class size requirements as specified by the state.
Middle School: Advanced Content Classes, Collaborative Teaching, Cluster Grouping
Advanced Content Courses:

  • Content Acceleration

  • Content Compacting

  • Enrichment Learning/Enrichment Programs Academic Competitions

  • Other (Duke Talent Search)

Collaborative Teaching:

  • Direct instruction may be provided by a regular classroom teacher

  • Substantial, regularly scheduled collaborative planning between the content area teacher and the gifted specialist

  • One full period each day (or weekly equivalent) that gifted specialist devotes to curriculum extensions for every three classes in which he/she has collaborative teaching responsibilities.

  • Total number of gifted students whose instruction is modified and may not exceed an average of eight per class.

  • A gifted education teacher can work with 3 regular education teachers for one full segment of planning per day (or the weekly equivalent), then the regular education teacher delivers the lesson/service to 8 students in his/her classroom.

Cluster Grouping:

  • Small group of identified gifted students placed as a group into an otherwise heterogeneous regular classroom

  • Teacher must have the gifted endorsement

  • One of two segments per day

  • Maximum class size is the regular education maximum

Courses of study for gifted students are modified at an appropriate level for gifted learners. Curriculum objectives for all grades focus on developing academic skills in one or more of the following content areas: mathematics, science, language arts, and social studies. These objectives use differentiated principles to provide opportunities for gifted students to achieve at levels commensurate with their identified abilities.
High School: Advanced Content Classes, Collaborative teaching, Cluster Grouping
Advanced Content Courses:

  • Advanced Placement

  • Gifted Classes

  • Postsecondary Options

  • Academic Competitions

Collaborative Teaching:

  • Direct instruction may be provided by a regular classroom teacher

  • Substantial, regularly scheduled collaborative planning between the content area teacher and the gifted specialist

  • One full period each day (or weekly equivalent) that gifted specialist devotes to curriculum extensions for every three classes in which he/she has collaborative teaching responsibilities

  • Total number of gifted students whose instruction is modified may not exceed an average of eight per class

  • A gifted education teacher can work with 3 regular education teachers for one full segment of planning per day (or the weekly equivalent), then the regular education teacher delivers the lesson/service to 8 students in his/her classroom

Cluster Grouping:

  • Small group of identified gifted students placed as a group into an otherwise heterogeneous regular classroom

  • Teacher must have the gifted endorsement

  • One of two segments per day

  • Maximum class size is the regular education maximum

Courses of study for gifted students are modified at an appropriate level for gifted learners. Curriculum objectives for all grades focus on developing academic skills in one or more of the following content areas: mathematics, science, language arts, and social studies. These objectives use differentiated principles to provide opportunities for gifted students to achieve at levels commensurate with their identified abilities.