Gifted & Advanced Programs

JCSS strives to provide opportunities for all of its students to reach their full potential and develop their individual talents commensurate with their abilities.

As a Strategic Waiver School System, Jackson County has waived Georgia State Board of Education recognition (Georgia Board of Education Rule 160- 4-2.38) to allow for additional flexibility in serving all students. The district continues to provide gifted education services to students who have the potential for exceptional academic and creative achievement in grades K-12 and commits to providing differentiated curriculums and programs for intellectually gifted and talented students.

DEFINITION

The Jackson County School System (JCSS) defines a gifted student as a student who demonstrates a high degree of intellectual and/or creative ability (ies) or excels in specific academic fields and who needs specialized instruction and/or ancillary services to achieve at levels proportionate to his or her abilities.

The overall aim of the Jackson County School System Gifted Education Program is to provide for the extension of learning opportunities, the development of individual potential, the enhancement of student self-esteem, and advancement toward becoming an independent learner beyond the experiences of the regular classroom.

The program provides a differentiated curriculum based on the assessed needs of the students and focuses on fostering general cognition, learning skills, research and reference skills, communication, and metacognition. For students who have met eligibility guidelines for placement in the gifted program and have parental consent to participate in the program, we will provide services of at least 5 segments per week or the yearly equivalent of gifted services.

Program Description - Elementary Level

At the elementary level, the program centers on fostering general cognition, learning skills, communication, and meta-cognition. In order to address these areas, JCSS offers a variety of services to the gifted students. Several delivery models are used, including;

• Advanced Content model
• Cluster model
• Collaborative model

Extensive descriptions of these models may be found on the Georgia Department of Education Gifted Education page .

Teachers of Gifted students assess students with an addendum to our Standards Based Report Card.