Fort Cherry School District provides gifted support to all mentally gifted students. The educational services are consistent with their individual needs, outstanding abilities, and potential for performing at high levels of accomplishment. Like all exceptional children, the gifted student possesses special characteristics that significantly affect that student’s ability to learn. To reach the maximum educational potential, the gifted student’s curriculum must be appropriately modified on an individual basis. The key to challenging the gifted student is the connection between instruction and individual cognitive and affective behaviors. The emphasis in special programs for these students is on the stimulation of the cognitive processes of creativity, originality, problem solving, and complexity.
To qualify for the gifted program, the District evaluates students using a multi-faceted matrix that evaluates multiple measures of data to determine a student's need for specially designed instruction to meet their needs in their gifted areas. If a student qualifies for gifted services, the team will discuss how the program will be designed to meet the student’s individual needs. The student’s program is designed around 3 options for services. Many times, a combination of all the options is utilized throughout the gifted student’s educational program at Fort Cherry.
Pull Out Experience: This includes instruction and activities with a gifted education teacher and other identified gifted students when available. Often, this will occur in the gifted classroom.
Acceleration in Depth: This would include application, extension, and enrichment activities that replace and/or supplement work in grade-level courses.
Acceleration in Pacing: This type of program is defined as instruction at an advanced level. A student must demonstrate the skills necessary for placement at an advanced level in reading and/or math.