Gifted Services

The Hilliard City School District provides specific support services during the school day for students who are identified as cognitively gifted. Services are delivered in accordance with Ohio Revised Code, Ohio Administrative Code, and Hilliard School District policies. Gifted Education staff members also consult with curriculum staff and teachers about classroom differentiation for cognitively gifted and academically talented students.

Support services provided to cognitively gifted students are designed to extend the depth, pace, and breadth of the district’s elementary and middle school curriculum. Within these services, students are encouraged to more deeply explore themes within specific disciplines or subject areas, as well as themes that cut across disciplinary boundaries, such as the theme of “change.” In addition, students apply their advanced reasoning and problem solving skills, and explore topics that reflect the unique social/emotional characteristics of cognitively gifted students.

A Written Education Plan (WEP) guides services provided to cognitively gifted children. It includes information about the services provided, annual goals, progress monitoring, homework waiver, names of teachers, and date of WEP review. Parents receive a copy of the WEP.

Parents who desire to withdraw their child from services should contact their child’s Gifted Services teacher.

Elementary

Kindergarten
Classroom consultation services are available at the kindergarten level to help determine a cognitively gifted child’s learning characteristics and needs, and to assist the teacher in developing strategies for addressing those needs in the classroom.

Grade One
Short-term “Thinking Skills“ groups are offered to cognitively gifted students in first grade. These groups are designed to challenge advanced reasoning abilities and to explore social/emotional topics unique to cognitively gifted children.

Grades Two and Three
The Explorations program is an interdisciplinary program designed to extend the district curriculum by providing opportunities for students to explore universal themes, apply their advanced reasoning and problem solving skills, and explore social/emotional topics unique to cognitively gifted children. An attempt is made to provide Explorations in home schools, but sometimes transportation to another school is needed. Groups meet for approximately four hours per week.

Grades Four and Five
The Focus program is a multi-age program that meets one day a week (approximately five hours) in one or more schools in the district. Students are transported to the identified location. Like the primary Explorations program, Focus is an interdisciplinary program designed to extend the district curriculum by providing opportunities for students to explore univeral themes, apply their advanced reasoning and problem solving abilities, and explore social/emotional topics unique to cognitively gifted children.