The Harford County Public School System believes that students are bright in many different ways. Educators have a responsibility to identify and nurture the gifts and talents of all students through acceleration and enrichment. Educators seek to effectively identify and enhance the development of outstanding potential and capability within the diverse student population. Multiple sources are used to match students to appropriate learning options and students are encouraged to nominate themselves for participation in activities which emphasize high levels of challenge or talent development.

The program emphasizes a collaborative effort that includes classroom teachers and specialized personnel trained in gifted and talented education. The effort often directly involves administrators, parents, and community resource persons, as well. All students are given the opportunity for enrichment experiences, and students showing unusual potential or distinctive areas of strength and interest have the opportunity for additional assistance to develop these areas of unusual capability. Depth and complexity of curriculum may also need to be enriched, using such methods as interdisciplinary learning, tiered assignments, independent investigations, project learning, interest centers and groups, mentoring, and opportunities to work outside of the classroom. It is important to note that enrichment, when considered as a differentiated strategy for gifted students, takes place instead of completing assignments in the regular curriculum.

Services for bright students emphasize broad-based knowledge acquisition and problem solving, tailoring unique learning opportunities to the strengths and needs of each child. Acceleration and enrichment options for individuals and groups of students will vary from school to school, as they are responsive to needs of students in each population and in the context of the general education programs at each building. At the secondary level, options include advanced placement courses, honors courses, independent study, and early college courses.

Visit the Official Web Site of the Gifted Education Program