Gifted Services
ELEMENTARY
K-1: The Gifted Support teachers are available for consultation with the general education teachers and will push in to general education classes when schedules permit. The Gifted Support teachers help to identify candidates for screening and identification.
2-5: The district offers a Special Interest Program (SIP) which consists of a pull out program for students in need of gifted education programming in these grades. The Gifted Support teacher meets with small groups of students in order to facilitate extension for the regular education curriculum. The length of time the students are removed from the general education classroom varies depending on the grade level of the student. The Gifted Support teachers also offer consultative services to general education teachers to support differentiated instructional strategies.
6: The district offers a unique program for students in need of gifted education services for the 6th grade year. The program is a self contained academic program located in one district elementary school. Students are bussed to one location and receive Mathematics, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies from the Teacher of the Gifted. Students receive all specials classes and lunch with their general education peers.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
7-8: In middle school, the district offers a continuation of gifted services through a rigorous and challenging academic program fostering identified gifted needs in mathematics, science, and the humanities. Each course is designed to focus on the strengths of students, thus addressing their gifted needs. Each student reveals gifted exceptionalities or potential through assessed evidence so that appropriate instructional accommodations and/or modifications can be provided. Students needing gifted and talented services will demonstrate evidence of:
- growth in the upper-level cognitive domains: analysis, synthesis, evaluation.
- fluidity in abstract thoughts.
- self-awareness, self-advocacy, self-efficacy, confidence, motivation, resilience, and independence.
- personal and social responsibility.
- emergent leadership skills.
- effective collaboration skills essential to ensure success.
- participation in a variety of evidence-based programming options.
HIGH SCHOOL
9-12: Students in need of gifted education services at Bensalem High School can select gifted courses in the area of Humanities. There also are multiple choices for Honors and Advanced Placement in the areas of Mathematics and Sciences. Students also have the opportunity to enroll in independent study.
RESOURCES FOR PARENTS
Bensalem Association Dedicated to Gifted Education
http://www.bensalemgifted.org/
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/022/chapter16/chap16toc.html