Lower Dauphin Gifted Services
The Lower Dauphin School District provides services and programming (specially designed instruction) to identified gifted students based on their unique needs. LDSD allows gifted students to participate in enrichment, or acceleration, or both (as appropriate), and to receive services according to their intellectual/academic abilities and needs.
The selection of activities, curriculum, and instruction for students identified as gifted is based on their identified strengths in the areas of language arts, mathematics, and the sciences. Qualified teachers work collaboratively to create meaningful, high level, challenging activities.
Elementary:
At the Elementary Level, students are both enriched and accelerated through the instructional modifications presented by their regular education classroom teachers in accordance with the goals outlined in their GIEP documents. Gifted students in grades 3-5 also have the opportunity to participate in pullout classes in a formalized gifted enrichment class (USA – Unique Student Activities). USA classes are comprised of a small group of mentally gifted peers and meet for approximately two hours during a regularly scheduled six-day cycle. A typical class in our USA program will be filled with high level critical thinking activities, i.e., Socratic seminars, Coding, Everfi math and science modules, Renzulli learning activities, Byrdseed Gifted lessons, Puzzlements, brainteasers, Stories with Holes, Mensa for Kids challenges, Mastermind, Chess, etc. There are several mini-units presented in USA class on a rotating basis. Examples of these units of study include: Egyptology, Middle Ages, Crime Scene Detectives, Poetry, Marine Biology, Neuroscience for Kids, and Philosophy for Kids. Each unit normally culminates with each student creating a project based on their individual areas of interest (art, writing, etc.).
Identified gifted students in grades K-2 are provided with necessary enrichment and acceleration in their regular education setting through collaboration between the classroom and gifted support teacher.
Math and language arts enrichment options for high achieving students are also offered through the Continental Math League and Wordmasters Challenge competitions. LDSD makes these national competitions available to all students in grades 2-5.
Subject acceleration occurs in mathematics for students demonstrating a need according to a district matrix (gifted identification has no bearing on participation in accelerated math program).
Gifted students are accelerated through advancing in grade level content whether by compacting the curriculum, as a full advancement of grade level through virtual learning or attending classes with the appropriate grade level or engaging in extension activities that attend to the student's gifted strengths.
The appropriateness of whole grade level advancement is determined by administering the IOWA acceleration scale.
Four day-long seminars, one in each core subject area (Science, Social Studies, Math, and Language Arts) are presented yearly to a group of high-achieving 5th and 6th grade students. These include hands-on activities and instruction for students who display strong interest and ability in these areas. Seminar participants are nominated by classroom teachers, based on a set of established criteria, and gifted identification is not a requirement for seminar attendance.
All fifth grade gifted students are invited to participate in an annual “Challenge Day” competition, along with fifth grade gifted students from surrounding districts. This event is an opportunity for students to work collaboratively with intellectually similar peers on a problem-solving task. They are introduced to a task with a brief presentation from experts in the field. Then, they must plan and construct a solution to the challenge. Through this experience, students learn about working as a team to produce a high quality final product.
Middle School:
The programming at the middle school level includes a gifted support class at all three grade levels. These classes act as Encore or elective classes, and are no longer pull-out classes as they were at the elementary level. Students are scheduled into the class rather than removed from core and other encore classes. These gifted support classes include different units that span and enrich the established curriculum as well as challenge and broaden thought. Units on creative writing, arts, literature, sciences and engineering, independent researching, public speaking, giftedness, and planning and organizational skills are among the topics studied. Creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving are components of each unit. Units culminate in big events such as presentations, public outreach, field trips, guest speakers or hands-on projects. A highlight of the seventh and eighth grade years is the Future City Unit, which is tied to a National Contest. Working with an engineer mentor, each gifted support class is its own team, and together they create a city of the future. Collaboratively, they research the provided prompt to write an essay, build a model city complete with moving parts, and present their work in front of judges. The top teams in the school move on to compete against other schools from Central Pa at the regional contest.
Gifted students have the opportunity in seventh and eighth grade to participate in Honors level classes in science and English. These classes provide assignments which are developed to work at the higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy, working independently as well as collaboratively with peers at or near students’ intellectual levels.
Gifted students also have access to the gifted support classroom during resource period, where they can retreat to work with gifted peers on core or gifted support projects, activities, and to have small group or 1-1 teacher assistance.
High School:
Chapter 16 of the PA School Code and the PA Gifted Education Guidelines inform the gifted program at Lower Dauphin High School.
Given the nature of our high school’s general education programming and the nature of students at this point in their development and academic careers, gifted students may or may not need Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) and a Gifted Individualized Educational Plan (GIEP). The Gifted Multi-Disciplinary Team (GMDT) and GIEP Teams, as requested, examine various relevant and recent data to determine such a need. These teams are comprised of the student, parent(s), regular education teacher, gifted support teacher, counselor, administrator, and other representatives.
GIEPs exist to provide intellectually gifted students who are in need of academic acceleration and/or enrichment beyond what is already provided in the general education program. Whether a gifted student has a GIEP or not, the gifted support teacher and counselor serve as advocates for the student in terms of developing a 4 year (graduation) plan and ensuring communication about academic, volunteer, work, college, and career opportunities at and beyond the high school.
As needed and as determined by the GMDT/GIEP Teams, gifted students are permitted to enroll in one online course per school year through the Capital Area Online Learning Association (CAOLA) or other district-approved provider for a maximum of two (2) credits in their high school career. These courses could take the place of courses needed for graduation or to accelerate or to enrich a strength area or area of interest. If a student wishes to take an online course that is not through CAOLA, the course must be approved prior to enrollment. For a non-CAOLA course, gifted students/parent(s) will be responsible to pay for and enroll in the course; the district will reimburse the family at the rate of a CAOLA class. Students can earn a grade through CAOLA but will receive a pass/fail grade if the online course is taken through another online company or institution. To learn more about CAOLA, contact your counselor and explore the Lower Dauphin website for application deadlines and course options.
Every student identified as gifted within the Lower Dauphin School District is provided with enrichment resources from the gifted support teacher for use in their regular education classroom. These are updated as needed throughout the school year. In addition, the gifted support teacher is available to coach/provide resources to any professional staff member for the benefit of any high achieving learner in their class, whether or not the student has been identified as gifted.