Gifted Education Services

 

The Mission of Gifted Education Services, working in partnership with staff, family and community, is to advocate for students with outstanding gifts or talents. 

This mission statement--and the following objectives--are from our Gifted Strategic Plan, written in 2004 by a committee of staff and parents. That Strategic Plan drives our program today. Our Objectives Gifted learners will experience a learning environment characterized by peer, family, and staff support. Gifted learners will engage in challenging learning activities which respond to their individual needs and maximize their potential. Gifted learners and their families will understand the learner's intellectual and affective needs and how these needs may be influenced by the learner's gifts and/or talent.

For information about our Strategic Plan, see:

• Strategic Plan
• Our Beliefs
• Action Plan for Curriculum Differentiation
• Action Plan for Identification

Commitment

Our strategic planning members were strongly committed to creating an open, needs-oriented program. And today we offer a program that is flexible and inclusive, with all Edina Public School students part of our service plan. Even students not formally identified for gifted service benefit from all-school enrichment programs and events, special extracurricular opportunities, and occasional whole class lessons from a gifted resource teacher. In addition, any student who demonstrates a need in the classroom could qualify for special pullout lessons along with formally identified students.

Gifted Education Services also provides leadership towards the district objective of implementing curriculum differentiation for all students in all classrooms. Curriculum differentiation is a process through which teachers determine the varying needs of learners and then alter the delivery of the curriculum to meet those needs. We believe that instruction is most effective when student differences are addressed and respect is given to the uniqueness of every child.

Future Direction

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement has published an important study called National Excellence: A Case for Developing America's Talent. This study makes a number of recommendations for improving education opportunities for America's top students...and for ALL of America's students. We have chosen five of their recommendations with which to strengthen our program--and better meet our stated objectives--in the years to come:

1. Broaden the definition of gifted.
2. Set challenging curriculum standards.
3. Provide more opportunities to learn.
4. Emphasize teacher development.
5. Provide a supportive, responsive learning environment.

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