Serving Gifted Students

Gifted Services

Students eligible for gifted services will be served through one or more of four GaDOE-approved instructional delivery models. Available models at each grade band are described in the FAQ links below. Through any delivery model, gifted students’ instruction is bolstered using the APS Gifted Standards.

Gifted and Talented Education Instructional Standards

Gifted and Talented Education Instructional Standards

Advanced Communication Skills (ACS): Learners will express ideas clearly and effectively using advanced communication skills for a variety of purposes.

Practice receptive listening with focus, including verbal and nonverbal cues, to gain understanding and interpret information.
Communicate effectively using advanced written, oral, and/or visual products in order to persuade, defend an argument, debate, speak publicly, interview, etc.
Express a variety of perspectives in order to ask questions, develop empathy, and/or draw conclusions.
1. Change a point of view
2. Change in time or location
3. Change in audience
4. Change in role
5. Change in presentation format
Utilize technology in innovative ways to communicate and/or solve real-world problems.
Analyze and evaluate formal and informal communication in oneself and others

Creativity (CRT): Learners will generate and/or produce items, ideas, and solutions using creative thinking skills.

Demonstrate the components of creative thinking.
1. FLUENCY: Produce a larger number of ideas or alternatives to a presented problem.
2. FLEXIBILITY: Approach a problem from a different perspectives, thereby producing ideas/solutions in a variety of categories.
3. ORIGINALITY: Produce ideas that are unique or unusual.
4. ELABORATION: Add details to embellish ideas or products.
Demonstrate their creativity through a variety of visual, written, and oral products and/or productions.
Take risks while demonstrating their creative thinking by asking questions, sharing unique and unusual ideas, challenging thoughts and ideas, trying something new, etc.
Use technology to communicate and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes appropriate to their goals.

Creative Problem Solving (CPS) Learners will insightfully evaluate a variety of problems and arrive at innovative and reasonable conclusions.

Apply creative problem solving strategies to create new solutions to problems in following ways:
1. Identify problems that can be solved or improved
2. Gather data in order to understand a problem or solution
3. Generate ideas which may lead to a solution
4. Develop a criteria and evaluate possible solutions
5. Organize and possibly implement a plan of action that applies to a solution
Demonstrate the use of a variety of creativity/ idea-generating techniques in order to solve a problem in following ways:
1. Brainstorm, without judgment, solutions to a posed problem (creative listing, graphic organizers, etc.).
2. Make connections between different concepts using various techniques such as analogical/metaphorical thinking, attribute listing, SCAMPER, etc.
Demonstrate open-mindedness and tolerance of imaginative, sometimes playful, solutions to problems.

Leadership (LEAD): Students will develop an awareness of leadership skills, analyze and evaluate components of leadership, and demonstrate an effective leadership style.

Define the characteristics of leadership.
Demonstrate basic leadership skills (take initiative, integrity, recognize strengths of others, encouragement and motivation, etc.) and apply risk-taking strategies.
Recognize, analyze, and evaluate the leadership styles of self and others (mission, vision, and goal-setting, interpersonal skills, self-improvement, organizational skills, team leadership, etc.).
Collaborate with others in large and small group settings to work toward a common goal with shared responsibility for the outcome.
Employ the skills of self-reflection to monitor and adjust goals.
Transfer leadership skills to real-life situations in the school and in the community through an independent project/action (Capstone/Passion Project/Genius Hour).

Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS): Learners will analytically critique a system or set of complex ideas, utilizing logic and reasoning skills in novel ways, to create and/or modify knowledge.

Apply convergent thinking by reasoning logically using induction and deduction to:
1. solve problems
2. support and analyze opinions, theories, conjectures, and conclusions
Apply divergent thinking by creatively generating ideas, products, or solutions.
Apply evaluative thinking by evaluating and solving a variety of authentic problems in order to:
1. resolve problems and dilemmas and evaluate their effectiveness
2. choose appropriate problems and dilemmas to research and resolve
3. develop tools to assess performance-based products and personal goals
4. draw conclusions based upon relevant information while discarding irrelevant information
Apply algebraic thinking by reasoning algebraically to search for patterns, order, and regularity in mathematical situations
Apply metacognitive strategies in order to:
1. link new information to former knowledge
2. choose thinking skills deliberately
3. design, test/check, and evaluate thinking processes
Ask probing, insightful, and relevant questions in order to extend critical thinking and gain deeper understanding.

Global Citizenship (GCZ): Learners will develop an awareness of global cultures, connections and issues in order to become actively engaged citizens of the world, with respect for differing values and goals.

Develop an understanding of the responsibility one has to promote the creation of a safe and just space for all (Universal Responsibility).
Demonstrate a respect and understanding of the values and beliefs of various cultures (Cultural Values and Beliefs).
Construct innovative solutions to local and global issues (sustainability, health, natural resources, economic, human rights, etc.) including equality, justice, and access to opportunities and resources (Global Issues).
Engage collaboratively engage in personal passion to positively to impact global change through service learning and social action (Service Learning/Social Action).
Explain how we are connected with people across the globe, such as, through trade, governmental relationships, social connections, and shared humanity (Local to Global).
Assess how natural systems are interconnected and dependent and how human choices affect the greater community over time (Connecting with Nature).
Utilize technology to communicate across cultures and create innovative ways to solve real-world problems (Technology).

Advanced Research Skills (ARS): Learners will select and explore a topic, research using a variety of sources, analyze and evaluate the information.

Acquire information from a variety of appropriate sources (magazines, books, newspapers, surveys, interviews, etc.).
Develop a hypothesis or thesis statement.
Collect and organize the data (note-taking, outlining, tables, graphs, charts, etc.). Cite sources.
Analyze (compare, categorize, classify, generalize, specify) and interpret the information to support an opinion/stance.
Design and construct an appropriate presentation/performance based on information, audience, personal interests, and talents, and link to a real-world problem, if applicable.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Learners will develop an understanding of their unique social-emotional needs as gifted learners and develop their coping and social interaction skills.

Take ownership of their giftedness and describe their individual learning needs.
Demonstrate understanding of and respect for similarities and differences between themselves and their peer group and others in the general population.
Describe issues frequently manifesting in the gifted population (including perfectionism, elitism, imposter syndrome, over-excitabilities, underachievement, asynchronous development, etc.), and manage them when evident in oneself
Employ a growth-mindset and set goals to develop their intra- and inter-personal skills
Foster practices of social interactions with same-age peers, others with having similar interests and abilities, and/or mentors or experts to support their affective needs.
Develop their executive functions to self-regulate attention, mood and behavior in order to get complex tasks done well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Elementary School

How will my child be served in elementary school?

Operating as a state-approved charter system, elementary schools within Atlanta Public Schools currently employ one or more of three state-approved delivery models: 1) The Resource Model serves gifted students through a gifted-endorsed teacher in a “pull-out” interdisciplinary-enriched environment once or more per week, 2) The Collaboration Model serves gifted students daily in their homeroom classroom through targeted instructional collaboration between the homeroom content-certified teacher and a gifted-endorsed teacher, and 3) The Cluster Grouping Model serves gifted students daily in a homeroom where the teacher is content certified and gifted-endorsed. In all models, schools must serve K-5 students for at least one-sixth of the instructional day or its annual equivalent. These delivery models meet the requirements of Georgia Board Rule 160-4-2.38.

How many students are in Gifted and Talented classes at the elementary school level?

According to Georgia Board Rule 160-4-2.38, an annually approved state waiver, and the charter system status of Atlanta Public Schools, elementary school class size limits are as follows. Resource Model - 22 students, Collaboration Model - no more than eight gifted students per heterogeneous class, Cluster Grouping Model – gifted students are no more than half of the heterogeneous class.

How is the Gifted and Talented curriculum different?

Atlanta Public Schools use the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies to inform all instructional curricula and practices. Meanwhile, elementary gifted students served through the resource model engage in enrichment units that integrate any combination of Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, or Science standards. Additionally, gifted students served through the collaboration or cluster-grouping model receive differentiation through extension or enrichment of the content curriculum. This extension/enrichment will differentiate/supplement the GSEs according to APS Gifted Standards.

The difference is not in what is taught but in how it is taught. Students will have opportunities to critically and creatively demonstrate proficiency in the GSE in an academically enriched environment. They will practice skills that ultimately prepare them for advanced learning at the middle, high, college, and career levels.

How will my child be evaluated in elementary school?

Students receive a progress report after an interdisciplinary unit in the resource model and at specified progress report dates in a homeroom/content classroom. If served through the resource model, this separate summative report will evaluate advanced critical thinking, creative problem solving, research, and communicative skills. The regular progress report will indicate current performance levels in the content courses if the student is served through the collaboration or cluster-grouping model. If either progress report suggests a student is having difficulty in the gifted and talented class, a parent conference will take place to discuss interventions and continuation options.

How can I support my elementary school gifted child?

•   Many of the same strategies apply
•   Attend to the social and emotional needs of your elementary gifted child.
•   Be sensitive to their asynchronous development by realizing their emotional development may not match their intellectual development.
For additional information, reach out to the Gifted Contact Teacher in your local school or call the district Office of Gifted and Talented Education at (404) 802-7585.

Middle School

How will my child be served in middle school?

Atlanta Public Schools uses the Advanced Content or Collaborative Model in middle schools. In the Advanced Content Model, a gifted-endorsed teacher provides the daily instruction. So teachers can provide instruction according to the student's area of strength in the core academic areas of Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, or Science. Likewise, the Collaborative Model provides instruction in the student's area of strength. However, the teacher does not hold the gifted endorsement. Instead, the core academic teacher collaborates with a gifted-endorsed teacher to provide differentiated curricula for the student. Both models meet the requirements of the Georgia Board Rule 160-4-2-.38.

What determines which middle school gifted delivery model a school employs?

How many students are in gifted classes at the middle school?

How is a gifted curriculum different?

Atlanta Public Schools use the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies to inform all instructional curricula and practices. Instruction in advanced content gifted classes and collaborative settings will differentiate the curriculum through enrichment of the GSE for students according to the Gifted Standards.

The difference is not in what is taught but in how it is taught. As a result, students will have opportunities to critically and creatively demonstrate their proficiency in the GSE in an academically enriched environment. They will practice advanced research skills, ultimately preparing them for advanced learning at the high school, college, and career levels.

How will my child be evaluated in middle school?

Advanced Content and Collaborative Models are based upon daily performance and use the same grade reporting system as all other core courses. The evaluation, as in other classes, is based upon classroom assessments, assignments, performance tasks, and classroom participation. If a student shows difficulty in a gifted class, a parent conference will take place to discuss interventions and continuation options.

Furthermore, students failing to maintain a B average in the gifted class may be placed on probation for at least three months. Not improving the areas of concern during the probation period could result in discontinuing gifted services.

How will my child be supported?

Gifted and Talented Education teachers not only address the learner's academic needs but also assist them in understanding the impact of their giftedness on their social and emotional well-being. The vehicle for this interaction may come through advisory, before/lunch/after school tutorials, mentorships, or enrichment activities such as Future Problem Solvers, Odyssey of the Mind, Science Olympiad, or Duke Talent Search.
Academically, all students receive progress reports on the district schedule, and communication from the school is ongoing.

How can I support my gifted child in middle school?

The same ways you were able to support your gifted learner in elementary school are also applicable in middle school.

Get to know all of your child's teachers, not just one.
Communicate with the guidance counselor and gifted contact teacher(s).
Read all information on school policies, curriculum, and discipline carefully.
Stay informed about your child's grades through the Parent Portal on APS's website. This is extremely important as you know your child's strengths and weaknesses.
Assist your child with organization and time management as much as possible; disorganization is often a gifted characteristic. Determine what works best for your child.
Request periodic meetings with teachers. If needed, ask for an interpreter.
Talk with your child about what happened at school each day.
Finally, value your child's education by encouraging homework and reading.

For additional information, contact the Gifted Contact Teacher at your local school or the Office of Gifted and Talented Education at (404) 802-7585.

Gifted + Talented FAQ - Elementary School

How will my child be evaluated in elementary school?

How will my child be served in elementary school?

How many students are in Gifted and Talented classes at the elementary school level?

How is the Gifted and Talented curriculum different?

The difference is not in what is taught but in how it is taught. Students will have opportunities to critically and creatively demonstrate proficiency in the GSE in an academically enriched environment. They will practice skills that ultimately prepare them for advanced learning at the middle, high, college, and career levels.

How can I support my elementary school gifted child?

High School

How will my child be served in high school?

Atlanta Public Schools utilizes various models to serve high school gifted students. The primary delivery model is service through Advanced Content, which includes Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. The College Board or International Baccalaureate trains teachers of AP/IB courses. Teachers must have professional development in the characteristics of and curriculum design for gifted learners. Additionally, gifted courses may serve students, including Directed Study-Academic Decathlon, Gifted Resource Seminar, Mentorship, and Internship.

Additionally, some students receive their gifted service through the Collaborative Model. In this model, a general education teacher collaborates with a gifted-endorsed teacher to serve students through their area of strength: Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, or Math. Through this collaboration, the teacher differentiates content to challenge the gifted student. Advanced Content, gifted courses, and collaboration meet the requirements of the Georgia Board Rule 160-4-2-.38.

What determines the gifted delivery model a high school employs?

How many students are in Gifted and Talented classes at the high school?

How is the Gifted and Talented curriculum different?

Atlanta Public Schools use the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies to inform all instructional curricula and practices.

The College Board and IBO govern Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses. Gifted high school courses are written specifically for gifted students. The specialized training gifted-endorsed teachers receive provides them with strategies for differentiating the curriculum through enrichment according to APS Gifted Standards.

The difference is not in what is taught but in how it is taught. Students will have opportunities to think more in-depth, critically, and creatively about the content. They will practice independent advanced research skills, ultimately preparing them for college and careers.

Who can take gifted courses?

Students eligible for gifted services may be scheduled for selected gifted courses by grade:

Ninth through twelfth-grade students: Directed Study and Gifted Resource Seminar
Eleventh and twelfth-grade students: Mentorship and Internship
Teachers and counselors recommend Advanced Content courses where appropriate, including AP and IB courses where available.

How can my child be scheduled for gifted courses?

Several adults in the high school may assist with student schedules. In addition, you or your child may contact the gifted lead teacher, the guidance counselor, or the registrar for information on requesting the following gifted courses: Directed Study, Gifted Resource Seminar, Mentorship, and Internship.
Current core content teachers will assist students with recommendations for AP or IB courses.

How will my child be supported?

Gifted and Talented Education teachers not only address the learner's academic needs but also assist them in understanding the impact of their giftedness on their social and emotional wellbeing. The vehicle for this interaction may come through advisory, before/lunch/after school tutorial, or mentorship. Enrichment is vital to high school students. Participation in programs such as Governor's Honors, US Youth Senate, Street Law, Georgia Academic Decathlon, Odyssey of the Mind, and Science Olympiad, provide them with translatable experiences to be college and career ready. Academically, all students receive progress reports on the district schedule, and communication from the school is ongoing.

How can I support my gifted child in high school?

The same ways you were able to support your gifted learner in elementary and middle school are also applicable in high school.

Read all information on school policies, curriculum, and discipline carefully.
Keep informed about your child's grades through the Parent Portal on the APS website. This is extremely important as you know your child's strengths and weaknesses.
Talk to your child about their interests, goals, strengths, and weaknesses.
Ask the guidance counselor and gifted teacher(s) about what you can do to help your child discover more about themself.
Encourage your child to try new experiences, meet new people, and explore new careers. Then, as your child fills their "plate" with new activities, help them manage time effectively.
Encourage self-awareness inventories through school.
Encourage college or career planning opportunities provided at school.
Attend school events in which your child participates. Talk frequently with them about the importance of high school classes and maintaining a positive attitude toward school.
Make a special effort to be direct, supportive, and a good listener. For example, listen when your child discusses school.
Request periodic meetings with teachers. If English is not your primary language, ask for an interpreter.
Finally, value your child's education by encouraging homework and reading.

For additional information, contact your school's Gifted Contact Teacher or the Office of Gifted and Talented Education.

Talent Development of Advanced Learners

Atlanta Public Schools, to focus on equity and work against under-identification and under-representation of students from special populations among students eligible for gifted services, has a long history of implementing a Talent Development program at selected schools. Schools with low numbers of students identified as eligible for gifted services use a district protocol to identify advanced learners who are effective candidates for this voluntary program. Talent Development exposes advanced learners to skills addressed in our APS Gifted Standards. This exposure is accomplished through core content courses as well as through additional opportunities beyond the core classroom.

Developing Talent with Intention

What is talent development?

Talent development refers to practices that develop the talents of high-ability students who have not yet been identified as gifted through the testing process. Talent development is designed to deliver a rigorous and relevant curriculum to high-ability students to accommodate their range of academic and intellectual needs. The goal is to expose high-ability students to gifted and talented pedagogy to increase critical thinking and creativity skills.