What you see here is a brief list of some out-of-Classroom Programming options. These options are appropriate only after an InSTEP has been completed. If you have more ideas, please share them. Send an e-mail with the name and a brief description of the technique.

Be certain that the choice meets the needs of the student by completing an InSTEP prior to selecting a solution. This is an important step - several of these options are suitable TAG programming only as part of a systematic and continuous program (one of the three filters). By themselves, they may be suitable as enrichment, but in that case should be appropriate for all students as part of their regular class activities.

Grade/Subject Acceleration (for example): Move from Elementary to Middle School (subject) Move from Middle to High School Move from High School to College Grade Skip Pull-Out Programs including such things as: Concerts/art shows/other performances Lectures Mentors

Acceleration is a much maligned and misunderstood option for gifted young people. Although we often think of acceleration as grade skipping, this is only one of the accelerative options. Schools need to consider ALL accelerative options available to meet the needs of gifted students, as they work and are very cost effective. There are two excellent resources to help educators and families better understand accelerative options, assess the value of acceleration, and determine what should be done.

• The first resource will help define and explain accelerative options. Don’t let the title fool you. This is a very pragmatic look at accelerative options. The text is A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America ’s Brightest Students. The text is available for download at http://nationdeceived.org/. Acceleration is a powerful educational ally, but it’s a strategy that requires participation of parents as well as sensitivity to individual needs and circumstances. The report is designed not only to persuade readers of the value of acceleration, but also to help schools administer acceleration programs effectively.
• The second resource is a tool for assessing the readiness of a child to be accelerated through grade skipping. It is easy to use and inexpensive. The tool is the Iowa Acceleration Scale Manual: A Guide for Whole-Grade Acceleration. It was created by Susan Assouline, Nicholas Colangelo, Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, and Jonathan Lipscomb at the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Iowa. It provides a systematic and thorough approach to considering and implementing academic acceleration for gifted and talented students in grades K-8.

Differentiation helps teachers adjust curriculum within the classroom to meet the needs of individual students. Differentiation is not a panacea. It will not meet the needs of the most highly gifted students. Still, it is a useful strategy, which, when used well, can meet some students’ needs fairly easily. There are three exceptional resources for differentiating curriculum:

• Winebrenner, S. (2001). Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom: Strategies and Techniques Every Teacher Can Use to Meet the Academic Needs of the Gifted and Talented. (CD-Rom Edition). Minnesota: Free Spirit Publishing. ISBN: 1575421011. This is an excellent and pragmatic guide to modifying curriculum for gifted elementary and middle school students in the regular classroom
• Smutney, J., Walker, S. & Meckstroth, E. (1997). Teaching Young Gifted Children in the Regular Classroom: Identifying, Nurturing, and Challenging Ages 4-9. Minnesota: Free Spirit Publishing. ISBN: 1575420171
• Tomlinson, C.A. (2001). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms. Virginia: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development. ISBN: 0871205122

Alternative Curriculum – The following are options for alternatives to the regular school curriculum offered by outside agencies. All are of high quality and offered through reputable organizations. This list is NOT comprehensive. It simply covers some of the most often utilized programs. Prices for participation vary.

• WCATY District Co-op Courses -- Through this program, school districts collaborate with WCATY to develop accelerated courses for their students. The courses are delivered via WCATY’s online community and several face-to-face meetings. Each course involves approximately 4-5 schools/school districts working together. Having 4-5 school districts participate in each course provides a critical mass of students and working with school districts in a particular region allows us to include a face-to-face component in the course. The schools work in concert with WCATY’s staff and a course instructor to develop the course curriculum, determine the course schedule, and approve the student assessment process. By involving school faculty in the planning process, we are able to craft a course that meets student needs but also fulfills content requirements and state standards. Schools must be WCATY members to participate. Contact WCATY for more information: www.wcaty.org, 608-271-1617.
• Aventa Learning -- Online courses for students. Details can be found at www.aventalearning.com. Aventa specializes in the distribution of technology-based K-12 Online Courses, Classroom Resources, Independent Study Courses, Credit Recovery and Test Preparation Supplements for students.
• Apex Learning -- Online courses for students. Details can be found at www.apexlearning.com. Apex specializes in delivering online learning to expand educational opportunities for students.
• Center for Talent Development Learning Links Program -- The Center for Talent Development's (CTD) LearningLinks Distance Learning Programs offer academically talented students the opportunity to take enrichment, high school honors, and Advanced Placement (AP) courses either online or via traditional correspondence. These programs are designed for independent students who wish to move quickly to advanced levels of coursework, whose local school offerings are limited, who have scheduling difficulties, or who are home-schooled. There are several online and correspondence options available. Details can be found online at www.ctd.northwestern.edu.
• Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) -- EPGY out of Stanford University is a continuing project dedicated to developing and offering multimedia computer-based distance-learning courses. Combining technical and instructional expertise, EPGY provides high-ability students of all ages with an individualized educational experience, optimized in both pace and content. Through EPGY students have access to courses in a variety of subjects at levels ranging from kindergarten through advanced-undergraduate.
• Center for Talented Youth -- CTY at Johns Hopkins University offers a variety of online options for gifted students. CTY's distance education program provides challenging academic courses all year long for eligible students in grades K through 12. More information is available at www.jhu.edu/gifted/cde/index.html.
• Curriculum Units from the College of William and Mary -- Under the leadership of Joyce VanTassel-Baska, The Center for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary has created materials for use with gifted students. Center materials are grounded in the Integrated Curriculum Model (VanTassel-Baska, 1986, 1995, 2002), which is designed to respond to gifted learners’ characteristics of precocity, intensity, and complexity through its three dimensions of advanced content, higher level processes and product development, and interdisciplinary concepts, issues, and themes. More information on the curriculum is available at cfge.wm.edu/curriculum.php.

Overview of Program Options -- The Center for Talent Development has published a guide to program options for academically talented students. It is called Designs for Excellence and can be purchased by contacting CTD at 847-491-3782. The publication explains the structure and value of programs and options such as competitions, distance learning, and summer programs. There is also contact information for programs nationwide.