Pride Academy Charter School recognizes and challenges the unique needs, talents, and abilities of each child as an individual learner, to help them develop to their fullest potential. Accordingly, we are committed to providing educational opportunities for those students who are exceptionally gifted and have established a program that provides gifted learners the opportunity to go beyond the foundations already created in classroom settings. The Gifted program assists: 

1. Gifted students with the opportunity to interact and collaborate with peers of similar ability; 
2. Differentiated learning experiences appropriate to student’s level of ability; 
3. Gifted students with opportunities to explore concepts, ideas, and topics that extend beyond the traditional grade-level curricula; 
4. Challenging and stimulating projects that encourage the growth of creative critical thinking and problem-solving abilities; and 
5. Gifted students with opportunities to develop task commitment through decision-making and the self-evaluation of their own product and progress. 

NJ Standards for Gifted and Talented
The Strengthening Gifted and Talented Education Act

Contact: Peter Zabor
pzabor@prideacs.org

Key elements include:

• Enrichment Periods: Dedicated time within the school day for advanced, hands-on learning experiences that extend beyond the standard curriculum. These periods are designed to challenge gifted students and allow them to delve deeper into their areas of interest.
• Professional Development: Ongoing training for teachers to enhance their skills in differentiating instruction for gifted learners. This professional development ensures that educators are well-equipped with strategies and tools to effectively meet the diverse needs of gifted students.

These components ensure that gifted students at Pride Academy receive tailored support and advanced learning opportunities throughout their middle school years.

Identification:

According to the National Association for Gifted Children, approximately 6% to 10% of the local student population may be gifted. Identifying all gifted and talented students for special programming requires more than a single measure; a comprehensive strategy using multiple measures is essential to ensure that no gifted learner is overlooked. Both objective and subjective measures, gathered over time, provide various opportunities to recognize gifted learners. Careful observation and a range of assessment tools are employed to create a thorough body of evidence for each nominated student, aligning with Renzulli’s three elements of giftedness: Aptitude, Competence, and Task Commitment.

1. Gifted students are selected based on multiple measures. Research indicates that factors such as underachievement, language differences, cultural diversity, and special needs can obscure giftedness. Therefore, a broad and inclusive approach is used to identify students with unique learning needs.
2. Families of new students to the district may request a nomination for the Gifted Program by having the student’s current or previous teacher complete a Teacher Referral. The student’s recent performance data will be collected and reviewed by the school’s Gifted Program Committee.
3. Each school will have a Gifted Placement Committee consisting of the building principal, Dean of Curriculum, Gifted Program teacher, and school counselor. Parents who wish to appeal their child’s admission decision to the Gifted Program can submit an Appeal Form and supporting documents to the school principal. The committee will review all evidence related to each candidate and make the final decision regarding the need for gifted programming.
4. To qualify for the gifted program, students must meet or exceed the established criteria in Aptitude, Competence, and Task Commitment. Identification as a potential candidate involves multiple methods, including teacher nominations, student interviews, and classroom observations.
5. A student currently in the Gifted Program who is struggling in gifted or mainstream courses and/or no longer meets the criteria may be exited from the program. Each student’s status will be reassessed annually during the fourth marking period, and those considered for removal will be reviewed by the Gifted Placement Committee.

Understanding Giftedness

“Bright Child” vs. “Gifted Learner”: What’s the Difference?​

Gifted Traits and Characteristics

The Misunderstood Face of Giftedness

National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)

New Jersey Association for Gifted Children (NJAGC)​

Overexcitability and the Gifted

Supporting your Gifted Child

Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG)

Finding Age-Appropriate Books for Gifted Readers

Acceleration Institute: Q&A

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HOW WILL DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION HELP MY CHILD?

Differentiated instruction means that teachers structure their lessons, activities, and assessments to meet the needs of individual learners. An example of this is a class of students who are reading different books based on their individual reading levels. A differentiated instruction model enables teachers to meet the needs of high-achieving and gifted students as well by giving them enriching and challenging supplemental activities in the classroom to meet their learning needs.

IF MY CHILD IS FOUND ELIGIBLE FOR SERVICES, HOW LONG WILL THEY BE IN THE PROGRAM?

All students are reevaluated every year to identify PAWS eligibility. This means that a child that was found to be eligible for services one year, may not be found eligible the following year.

HOW CAN PARENTS GIVE INPUT ABOUT THEIR CHILD’S ABILITIES?

Parents can fill out the Parent Inventory or Parent Appeal Form to provide information about their child’s abilities, behaviors, and needs. Responses to this form are accessible to all of your child’s teachers

WHAT IF MY CHILD IS ABSENT ON THE DAY AN ASSESSMENT IS ADMINISTERED OR MY CHILD ENROLLED IN PPS AFTER THE ASSESSMENTS WERE GIVEN?

There will be make-ups for any child absent on the day an assessment is administered. Another round of assessments will be administered in the fall for new students to the district. In no cases, will there be opportunities for assessment re-takes.

Complaint Process

Any person with a grievance may file a formal complaint with the school board. The board shall issue a decision, in writing, to affirm, reject, or modify the district’s action in the matter. The individual may then file a petition of appeal of the board’s written decision to the Commissioner of Education through the Office of Controversies and Disputes in accordance with N.J.S.18A:6-9 and the procedures set forth in State Board of Education regulations. Please email board@prideacs.org