Gifted Support Programs

Elementary


The District has a varied approach in supporting the gifted students at every level. At the elementary level, identified gifted students are provided with differentiated opportunities for enrichment and extension by both the regular education and the gifted support teachers. These opportunities may be delivered through a push-in and/or pull-out model using grade level enrichment, curriculum compacting and/or acceleration. The goal is to allow our gifted students to explore ideas and concepts beyond the scope of the regular classroom curricula, while building upon their own exceptionalities and unique learning needs.

Middle School


At the middle school level, enrichment by the regular education teacher continues, as well as the option to take higher level courses - honors or high potential. In seventh grade, all gifted students have the option to enroll in Gifted Seminar 7 which provides a learning experience that is both individualized and academically challenging through a focus on reading activities such as inquiry-based close reading, critical thinking, Socratic discussions, and dialectical journaling. In eighth and ninth grade, all gifted students have an elective choice for Gifted Seminar 8/9. Gifted Seminar 8 & 9 are courses that focus on the themes of leadership and communication. Each middle school has a gifted resource teacher that meets with both the students and teachers to ensure the students' needs are being met.

High School


At North Penn High School, gifted students are supported in many ways. Both Honors and Advanced Placement courses are offered for anyone eligible. Tenth grade offers a Gifted English class which expands on the Honors English curriculum for Sophomores. For eleventh and twelfth grade students, Gifted Mentorship is an option to explore an independent course of study which reinforces scholarly research, presentation skills, fieldwork and working independently. Students who participate in Gifted Mentorship work with a mentor in a field of interest. They receive honors credit for the course, learn more about a career before enrolling in college, demonstrate self-discipline and organization, and are involved in excellent experiences which enrich college decisions, essays, and interviews.