Welcome to the Home Page for Brevard Public Schools
Gifted Student Program!
Philosophy
Brevard Public Schools' Gifted student Program is committed to honoring excellence in
all students regardless of race, sex, economic status, or cultural background. Gifted
students need an educational program that takes into account their unusual intellectual
abilities and challenges them to be their very best.
An effective program for the intellectually gifted requires that teachers be trained to
recognize special characteristics of gifted children and to provide programs design.
Program Goals
The Gifted Student Program includes the following goals:
*Provide an educational
program with a wide variety of educational opportunities that will enable each
gifted student to develop his/her own unique potential
*Provide gifted students
with opportunities to interact with intellectual peers and experience advanced learning
situations
*Develop and extend the
thinking abilities of each gifted child
*Develop and nurture
creativity and productive divergent thinking
*Help each gifted child
become a self-directed learner
FAQ's
About Qualification and Placement
Q1-How does a child qualify for the gifted program?
A1-A student is eligible for special programs for the gifted if he/she
demonstrates the following:
*superior intellectual
development with an intelligence quotient of two standard deviations or more above the
mean
*a majority of
characteristics of gifted children
*a need for a special
program for the gifted
Q2-Who can refer a child for evaluation for possible gifted
placement?
A2-Referrals for screening and evaluations for the gifted student program
can be made by the child's teacher or other staff member, the parents/guardians or in some
cases by the child. The process begins in the school guidance department.
Q3-When can a child be referred for the gifted program?
A3-In Florida children can be referred when they are of school age.
The Gifted Student
The gifted student is one who has superior intellectual development and is capable of high
performance. These student require educational programs and experiences different from
and/or in addition to those provided by the regular school program.
What does it mean to be "gifted"?
Gifted children tend to share many characteristics in common. The gifted child often.. .
*reads well and widely
*has an unusually large
vocabulary
*has a good memory for
things heard or read
*is curious and asks
tough questions
*is an independent
learner and has lots of initiative
*has a long attention
span
*is widely informed about
many topics
*produces original or
unusual products or ideas
*has a keen sense of
humor
*likes to collect things
*is creative and
imaginative
*enjoys complicated games
and puzzles
Common
Misconceptions* About Gifted
Myth #1
Students who are gifted can make it on their own. They can succeed without help.
Fact: Students who are gifted do not automatically succeed if
proper instruction and counseling do not occur. Studies have shown that as many as fifteen
to thirty percent of high school dropouts are gifted and talented. Students who are gifted
are "at risk" in other areas as well. They are at risk for underachievement
during the educational years and on their jobs during their adult years. And, what may be
the most shocking, students who are gifted are at risk for depression and suicide.
Students who are gifted will not always succeed without help.
Myth #2
Students who are gifted are not aware of being different unless someone tells
them they are.
Fact: Students who are gifted are aware of being different and
need to understand their unique abilities. They may think in complex terms for their age
and wonder why their peers do not have the same thoughts. If their exceptionality is not
understood, they may consider themselves to be strange or weird. This perception of being
different can lead to counseling needs.
Myth #3
Students who are gifted should get all " A's" on their report cards.
Fact: Students who are gifted have strengths and weaknesses just
like everyone else. Their giftedness may be in math and not in language arts or vice
versa. Too often students who are gifted have been conditioned to feel they must be
perfect. This over-concern with perfection can create many problems. One of the problems
is a reluctance to take risks. Fear of failure may prevent these children from trying new
thing or risking being unsuccessful in a new situation.
*"Common
Misconceptions" taken from:
Educating Students Who are Gifted in Florida's Schools,
Florida Department of Education
FAQ's about Parents'
Role
Q1- How can I Help My Gifted Child?
A1- *Motivate your
gifted child by....
*Encouraging
novel ideas
*Encouraging
goals set by the child
*Helping
your child recognize his/her strengths and weaknesses
*Recognizing
achievement
*Encouraging
independence and creativity
*Being
enthusiastic and optimistic
Q2- What Else Can I Do?
A2- *Furnish books that
cover a wide range of subjects and reading levels
*Provide
reference materials
*Plan
field trips and library visits
*Set
aside time for reading
*Encourage
participation in outside activities
*Model
a life-long love of learning
*Be
an advocate for your child and his/her need for gifted services as it arises
Q3- How Can I Learn More?
A3- *Ask your child's
gifted teacher for information.
*Visit
your local library
*Visit
other web sites
Gifted Links
Working on Gifted Issues
(WOGI)
http://www.unfwogi.com/
This web site is rich in
resources/courses for all the subject areas. Hoagies is a well recognized
provider for gifted education---and this is free!
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/online_hs.htm
Talent Identification Program
(TIP), Duke University
http://www.tip.duke.edu/about/
Space
Coast Future Problem Solving (FPS)
http://www.FLFPSP.org/districts/spacecoast.html
Odyssey
of the Mind
http://www.odysseyofthemind.com/
The
Association for the Gifted (Council for Exceptional Children)
http://www.cectag.org
Gifted-Children.com:
Identification, Encouragement, and Development (GCC)
http://www.gifted-children.com/
Davidson Institute
for Talent Development
http://www.ditd.org/
American Association for Gifted Children (AAGC)
www.aagc.org
Association for the Gifted (TAG-Council for Exceptional Children)
www.cec.sped.org
Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG)
www.sengifted.org
National Parent Information Network (NPIN)
www.npin.org
National Association for the Gifted
www.nagc.org
World Council for Gifted and Talented Children
www.WorldGifted.ca
Writing and Math Tutorials: Distance Education for Talented Youth (Johns Hopkins)
www.jhu.edu/~gifted/programs.html
More questions? Please Contact:
© Copyright 1998 BPS Secondary Programs
Updated: 12/05/11 |
