Board examines schools' gifted program

Gifted education has caught the eye of area educators this school year.

The Orange County Board of Education heard a report on its Academically/Intellectually Gifted program at its meeting Monday.

Rebecca Garland, associate superintendant of curriculum and instruction, presented the school board with a list of current challenges facing the program - including the inconsistencies in curriculum and systemwide standards.

She said there had been teacher discretion in the way services were delivered that did not match up with the district's gifted plan.

Another concern has been the availability of a gifted educator at the high school level.

Right now, there is only a part- time gifted education instructor for the high schools.

Garland noted that even with the Advanced Placement and honors courses in the high schools, some gifted students still need more rigorous instruction.

"Even within honors courses and AP courses there needs to be some differentiation," she said.

But several changes will be implemented to the program to help streamline some of the past inconsistencies.

Once in the program, students will remain in the gifted classroom unless their End-of-Grade test scores drop drastically.

"The only reason they should come out is if they have a drastic drop in achievement," Garland said.

The district also will have an annual meeting to review the program.

In addition, Garland said that for the program to be successful, all teachers have to play a role in the education of gifted students.

"It doesn't excuse those regular ed teachers from having a role in our gifted program."

Superintendent Shirley Carraway said that because admittance to the program is based on local criteria standards, some students who did not place into it still are in the gifted classroom.

Like Garland, she said there are many ways for the district to serve its high-achieving students.

"I think it's wonderful that we were serving as many as we could but there's lots of ways we can serve students who perform well," she said.

The keys to the success of the program are in the learning environment and the processes and content of the program, she said.

"It's a combination of all of the above that makes a really strong program," she said. "It's more than just an additional reading group. It's different."

But despite the concerns, Garland reminded school board members that Orange County Schools still have a strong gifted program.

"We are above average," she said. "It just takes time and it takes attention."

The board addressed several other issues Monday night:

n Board members voted to table its budget resolution until school staff brings back further information - including a breakdown of its local revenues.

n The school board also decided to ask the Orange County Board of Commissioners for help on its third middle school. After more than an hour of debate, the school board decided to seek commissioners' support for funding below-ground power lines.

 

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.