Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content
An Official Pennsylvania Government Website
Translate
Begin Main Content Area

Chapter 3: Gifted Service Delivery Options

Service Delivery Options – Recommendations

Taking into consideration the duties of a school district described in Chapter 2, this Chapter provides various recommendations for service delivery options.

A combination of acceleration and enrichment provides the greatest opportunity for flexible programming to meet the needs of the gifted. Even if a pullout option is present in the school district, an individualized plan must be provided. The individualized plan must establish learning opportunities to insure meaningful progress (22 Pa. Code §§16.1(viii), 16.41(2)).

Minimal or trivial progress is not meaningful progress. The gifted student must be provided instruction at an appropriate level of challenge and with adjustments that accommodate individual needs. The instruction must be reasonably calculated to yield meaningful educational benefit and student progress.

School districts are free to group gifted students in ways that best serve the needs of each gifted student. However, the service delivery options chosen for each gifted student are developed based on the strengths and needs identified within the Gifted Individualized Education Plan and must be agreed to by the Gifted Individualized Education Plan team. Options for gifted students may be offered through a variety of settings and selections such as:

    • Early entrance to kindergarten based on mental age and individual readiness.
    • Cluster grouping based on instructional level.
    • Open-ended compacted curriculum with flexible pacing.
    • Level, grade and/or subject acceleration with flexible pacing.
    • Grade or subject "skipping."
    • Advanced placement and honors courses with earlier-than-normal access.
    • Permission to receive credit for demonstrated mastery in required courses by recommendation of the Gifted Individualized Education Plan team (credit by examination).
    • Permission to submit proposals to replace requirements for which the student has demonstrated mastery as recommended by the Gifted Individualized Education Plan team (college courses).
    • Independent study designed to meet a gifted student's long-term interests and expertise in a given area.
    • Specialized curriculum for gifted learners based on validated research in gifted education.
    • Distance learning.
    • Consortium, collaborative or cooperative arrangements with other school districts.
    • Online courses.
    • Opportunities for gifted students to work with their peers in a resource room.
    • Alternative scheduling (block, alternating days, etc.).
    • School within a school.
    • Arrangement of school schedules in order that gifted students can access the fine arts.
    • Incorporation of appropriate outside-of-school educational experiences.
    • Enrichment in content areas.
    • Independent learning contracts.
    • Mentorships, apprenticeships, internships and field experiences designed to meet gifted students' performance level and career interests.

Options, differentiated according to the needs of each gifted student, may be used in combination to form a comprehensive service delivery model from kindergarten through grade 12. These choices are not based on existing "canned" curricula, student scheduling, age-peer levels, age- grade levels or grouping. If a school district is unable to provide an appropriate continuum of service delivery options independently, a consortium approach with neighboring school districts, intermediate units or higher education institutions is recommended. The resources of the community should also be considered in planning for the gifted.

AP and Honors Courses

Honors courses or Advanced Placement (AP) courses provide options to meet the needs of some gifted learners. For other gifted students, modifications such as availability at earlier age, adjustment in pace or depth or another adaptation may be needed for AP or honors courses to be considered "specially designed" instruction for gifted students.

Learning Contracts

A learning contract can be an effective option when a teacher or qualified adult is scheduled to meet with the student, provide access to instruction/advice and supervise the accomplishment of milestones and goal completion.

Comprehensive Program

A comprehensive service delivery model for gifted students cannot be limited to enrichment alone, one academic area, one program option or solely extracurricular activities such as Odyssey of the Mind, Future Problem Solving, Mock Trial, MATHCOUNTS or National History Day. Each school district must decide what service delivery options are needed to provide specially designed instruction for each gifted student. A needs assessment survey of gifted students is a highly effective tool to guide decisions on service delivery changes and options. Once the needs of the students are known, the school district may utilize many types of resources, on and off campus, to provide a full continuum of services. (See Chapter VI-Gifted Program Evaluation)

The scheduling of options should benefit, not penalize, the gifted student's participation. When scheduling gifted plan options requires students to miss regular education classes, the Gifted Individualized Education Plan should clarify the student's responsibility for completing make-up work from missed regular education classes. Makeup work may be necessary under certain circumstances, but requiring make-up work to be completed that inappropriately penalizes the student and detracts from a successful gifted education is an unintended consequence and should be avoided. The Gifted Individualized Education Plan is the best instrument to avoid any confusion and misunderstanding and ensure student success.