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| Commonly Used G/T Terminology |
| Acceleration in specified content areas: Students will be placed in another grade level for instruction. Advanced Placement: Planned courses of study in which secondary regular education students may gain college credit and/or advanced college placement. These courses are normally available only at the 11th & 12th grade level. Credit is earned by successfully meeting criteria established by higher education institutions on a nationally given and scored advanced placement examination. These courses provide one option to meet the needs of some gifted and other able learners but, unless modifications (availability at lower levels, adjustment in pace, depth, etc.) exist; they are not specially designed instruction for gifted students. Autonomous Learner: A person who is independent, self-directed, takes risks, communicates effectively, and can design his/her own educational and personal goals. Continuous Progress: Continuous progress allows students to progress through the curriculum at their own rate and eliminates an age-in-grade lockstep approach. This requires a high level of individualization as students move ahead whenever mastery of content and skills is demonstrated. This is a particularly appropriate approach for gifted students at the primary level. Creativity: A complex mental process which is difficult to define, and involves putting together new, different, and unique ideas. It may include skills such as fluency (generating a large number of ideas), flexibility (changing direction in thought), originality (unusual, unique ideas), and elaboration (the addition of detail). Curriculum Compacting: Adapts the regular curriculum to meet the needs of advanced students by eliminating work that has already been mastered or condensing work that may be mastered at a pace more appropriate for the student’s ability level. Differentiated Curriculum: A set of activities, a program, or a plan of instruction that is designed to meet the unique needs of children. “Different” for gifted children means a curriculum that allows for acceleration, stimulation of high level thinking, divergent thinking, and convergent thinking. Early entrance into kindergarten: A gifted child who shows readiness to perform schoolwork enters kindergarten or first grade one to two years earlier than the usual beginning age. Enrichment: Activities and program offerings for children which are new, unique, and/or increases knowledge in areas which go beyond curricular offerings. Flexible Grouping: Students are grouped and/or regrouped for instruction differentiation. Grouping patterns may include: -
Cluster Grouping: Groups of 2 – 10 advanced students are assigned, administratively, to the same regular heterogeneous classes on grade level to facilitate instruction in their areas of need. -
Cross-Grade Grouping: A variation of grade acceleration would be to place students for part of their day in the next higher grade, usually for reading, math, or science. -
Across grade (intra-grade) Grouping: Students are grouped between classes but within their grade level. -
Grouping by interests: Students are grouped based upon their interests. -
Multi-Age Grouping: Students are grouped with other students without regard for age or grade level. -
Subject grouping: Students are grouped for instruction based upon need in a specified subject area. Grade Acceleration: Student is assigned full-time to a higher grade. Honors Level Classes: A secondary level planned course designed to be advanced in content, process, and product and usually requires regular education students to meet prerequisite criteria before course entry. These classes are designed for those who intend to proceed to higher education. They should be available for, but not limited to, identified gifted students. They are not specially designed instruction unless modified to meet individual gifted student needs. Independent Study: Students take independent investigation to the next step by creating a real life product and becoming an expert, developing their own research, etc. Learning styles: The method in which individuals best process new information. Mentorships: Students, with the support of an expert, are involved in investigative activities, inquiries, and productions in which the learner attempts to think, feel, and act like a practicing professional. Both mentor and student have predetermined goals and outcomes. This process is especially effective where portfolio/performance assessment is in place. Process: Emphasis is placed on steps followed in an area of study. Product: Emphasis lies in the results obtained from the research of a topic. Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO): Students who qualify, based on the participating universities’ qualification standards, are given the opportunity to gain college credit while supplementing their high school college preparatory curriculum. This PSEO Program is intended to complement rather than replace the high school college preparatory curriculum. Pull-out Programs: Programs which take children out of the regular classroom setting for specialized activities. Telescoping Curriculum: Courses that are usually scheduled for a semester or a year are compacted into an abbreviated time. Since the content is simply covered at a faster pace, the course scope and sequence do not have to be altered. This makes it easy to implement since no additional materials are needed. Telescoped curriculum has been used successfully in math and science at both the middle school and high school level. It is an appropriate way for highly gifted students to complete their secondary program in less time and enter a post-secondary program earlier than their age-mates.
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