FOR MEETING THE NEEDS
OF GIFTED STUDENTS

ACCELERATION Provides options to increase academic challenge for gifted students allowing students to progress through the educational program "at rates faster or ages younger than conventional." Forms of acceleration include early entrance, subject acceleration (placing a student in a higher grade level for study in certain subjects), grade skipping, advanced placement, and curriculum compacting. Almost always recommended for students who have already acquired the information, skills and concepts to be taught, in recognition of what the students have already achieved. APPRENTICESHIPS Apprenticeships are similar to mentorships, with the additional feature of students working with the expert to practice the skill learned in an authentic setting. COMPACTING Teacher assesses what the student already knows about material to be studied and excuses student from repeating that learning. Student is provided enrichment or accelerated activities for the "freed" time. CONTRACTS Teacher and student agree on certain freedoms or choices the student will use in designing and completing work. This allows students to work at an appropriate pace and eliminates unnecessary skill practice. FLEXIBLE GROUPING Students are part of different groups based on needs, interests and readiness. Groupings should be designed for a balance between heterogeneous and homogeneous groups. Groups may be skills or interest based. Clear guidelines for group functioning should be taught in advance. INDEPENDENT STUDY Teacher and student identify problems or topics of interest to student, plan method of investigating problem or topic, identify type of product the student will develop, plan timeline, and establish criteria for success. Product should demonstrate the student's abilities and knowledge. LEARNING CENTERS Stations or collections of materials learners use to explore topics or practice skills. Activities in centers are adjusted to ability levels or learning styles of different students. Students select from a variety of activities, and do not do all work at all centers. Centers encourage continuous development of skills and pacing. Teachers monitor student progress at the center. Students record progress at centers. MENTORSHIPS Students work with resource people, such as teachers, specialists, parent volunteers or community members who have expertise in a specific area. Mentorships extend learning beyond the classroom and result in a learning partnership between student and mentor. Teacher, student and mentor develop goals for the collaboration, written role definitions, a plan to meet student's goals, and assessment. OPEN-ENDED Open-ended activities require more decisions on the part of the learner. This type of activity is most appropriate for students who have knowledge of the target basic skills and/or concepts and are comfortable with the opportunity to be creative and to branch off. TIERED ASSIGNMENTS In a heterogeneous class, various levels of activities and assignments are planned to meet a range of student needs for task complexity, abstractness, concreteness, and independence. All activities, regardless of level, should focus on the same key concept of the curriculum. Activities should be designed to build on prior knowledge and prompt continued growth. Differences in activities are more qualitative than quantitative. VARYING QUESTIONS In discussions, assignments and tests, questions vary according to student's readiness, interests and learning style. Adjustments should be made on complexity, abstractness, degree of mental leap, time constraints, and connections required between topics. All students should be responsible for information and thinking at high levels.