GIFTED EDUCATION

The goal of educational services for gifted students in Thomasville City Schools is to provide for the extension of learning opportunities, the development of individual potential, the enhancement of the student's self-concept and the advancement toward becoming an independent learner through differentiated curricula beyond the opportunities and experiences of the regular classroom.

GIFTED PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

The Thomasville City School System offers a comprehensive range of delivery models for serving gifted students. Students are served in advanced content courses, in gifted resource classes, and through cluster groups and collaborative instruction within general education classrooms, which appropriately serve the identified needs of gifted students in elementary, middle, and high schools. Differentiated instruction includes the enrichment and acceleration of Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS). To meet student achievement needs, teachers of the gifted and talented may utilize one or several of the following opportunities:


Resource Class

  • Direct services

  • Identified gifted students only

  • Limited class size

  • Teacher must have gifted endorsement

  • Limit of ten segments per week

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

Advanced Content Courses

  • Content Acceleration

  • Content Compacting

  • Enrichment Learning/Enrichment Programs

  • Academic Competitions

Curriculum objectives for all grades focus on developing academic skills in one or more of the 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.

GATES

GATES offers Resource Gifted services for our 2nd - 5th grade elementary students.

GATES address the Gifted Standards through the Units
Cognitive Skills: Develop and practice creative thinking, problem solving, critical thinking, logic and reasoning
Learning Skills: Develop and practice organization, responsibility, independent learner/work, high quality work, motivation, attention/focus, and positive attitude
Research and Reference Skills: Develop advanced research skills and methods
Communication Skills: Develop advanced communication skills, and presentation skills
Metacognitive Skills: Develop and practice an understanding of self and interaction with others

GATES Units: Critical Thinking, Project Based Learning (PBL)/Research, and Technology

Dogo

The Thomasville City Scholars Academy is an accelerated college preparatory magnet program for highly motivated and goal-oriented students who are interested in pursuing a curriculum that is more rigorous than that found in a traditional middle school or high school program. Eligibility for gifted services is not a criterion for admission to the Scholars Academy.

Gifted services at Scholars Academy are provided through three avenues. First, advanced content courses are offered by gifted certified teachers. Advanced content courses offered at the Academy include pre-Advanced Placement and Advanced Placement courses. Second, gifted students may also receive services of a collaborative gifted teacher who works with the regular classroom teacher to better meet the needs of gifted students. Third, students may register for gifted enrichment courses such as Odyssey of the Mind and Science Olympiad which culminate in competitions like Odyssey of the Mind, Science Olympiad, Spelling Bee, and Quiz Bowl. Odyssey of the Mind students from the Thomasville Scholars Academy have won the OM World Championship twice.

A partnership with Southern Regional Technical College and Thomas University allows Scholars Academy students the option to complete a college associates degree by high school graduation.