Level II & III Gifted Services

A Continuum of Gifted Services

The continuum of gifted services in the elementary and middle school (Levels II and III) is designed to provide a range of opportunities for students to develop academic strengths through more rigorous and challenging curriculum and instruction.

Beginning in kindergarten, students who exhibit characteristics of emerging giftedness or who have specific academic strengths are considered for differentiated services or Level II.  These services are specifically planned to provide more challenging content, assignments, resources and/or instructional groupings within the classroom.  Level II services are provided in grades kindergarten through grade six by classroom teachers in collaboration with the GT resource teacher.   Level III consists of direct services in grades three through six to students who have been identified by a local school screening committee.  Level III services are provided by the GT resource teacher and include lessons that enrich and extend the program of studies in specific content areas.  The GT resource teachers collaborate with classroom teachers to design differentiated lessons that challenge students to learn at a faster rate, think on a higher level, and study sophisticated and complex content in the four core subject areas. 

In addition, many elementary schools with large numbers of students from diverse cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds have implemented the Young Scholars model.  Young Scholars is a K-6 model that is designed to increase the proportion of historically underrepresented students in gifted programs.  School administrators, teachers, and GT resource teachers work together to find and nurture gifted potential in young learners.  Through flexible grouping, summer school, and after school programs, young scholars are provided an educational setting that raises their personal expectations and prepares them for more challenging and rigorous courses as they advance in grade level. 

At the middle school level school-based services are offered through Honors classes in the four core subject areas.   Middle school Honors insures that students who receive gifted services in elementary school will be considered for appropriate Honors placement in one or more areas of academic strength.  Students who take one or two Honors classes receive Level II services and students who take three Honors classes receive a Level III service.  In the middle school, four Honor classes are considered a Level IV service.  Honors classes also provide challenging learning opportunities for students from underrepresented populations who demonstrate significant achievement and motivation.  Curriculum for middle school Honors is based on extensions to the Program of Studies that emphasize critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and more rigorous instruction through ascending levels of intellectual demand.

For more information on gifted services that are available at your local school, contact the GT resource teacher at the elementary level or the Director of Student Services at the middle school.

Carol V. Horn, Ed.D.
Coordinator, Advanced Academic Programs
Fairfax County Public Schools
Carol.Horn@fcps.edu

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