District Philosophy

As educators, we recognize that children with exceptional abilities and talents are capable of striving for excellence in many different and exciting ways.  It is our responsibility to provide these exceptional students with varied and different learning experiences which are constructed to meet their individual needs as students – our goal is to incorporate those activities and supports into the daily life of the district, buildings, students, and staff.

As students become identified as gifted in Jackson Local School District, a number of enrichment and support activities are offered to them.  In most instances, the activities are anchored in the regular classroom and are supported by the regular classroom teacher.  We are creative in how we use their time and the time of all staff members to provide some services to our identified students.  We grow steadily in program development because of our commitment to quality education for gifted students at Jackson Local School District.

Please see the navigation bar to the left for more information related to gifted education in the Jackson Local Schools.

Gifted Identification Areas

• Academic Areas (Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies in grades K-8)
  
  

• Cognitive Thinking Skills (grades 3 and 5)
  
  

• Creativity (grades 3-9)
  
  

• Visual/Performing Arts (grades 7-12)
  
  

Elementary Services:

English Language Arts:

• Students are heterogeneously grouped

• Utilizes differentiated small group instruction

• Instructional materials match students' reading levels and interests

Math:

• Students are heterogeneously grouped in grades K-3

• Eligible students in grades 4-5 enrolled in accelerated math

• Math curriculum develops concepts in more depth and pacing is adjusted.

P.E.T.S - Primary Education Thinking Skills:

This K-3 program is a systematized enrichment and diagnostic thinking skills program. The program aligns to the higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy which provides an important framework for higher order thinking.  PETS™ offers opportunities for learners with different strengths to shine.

In the PETS™ program, students explore 4 types of thinking.

• Convergent Analysis - detective, logical thinking
  Students work to see the interrelationships between clues and defer judgment until all clues are collected.

• Divergent Synthesis - inventor, creative thinking
  Students list many responses to questions or brainstorm many ideas.

• Visual/spatial Thinking - magician thinking
  Students manipulate shapes mentally in order to achieve a solution and practice remembering visual details.  

• Evaluate Thinking - judge thinking
  Students make choices and offer solutions that are based on factual, measurable, or observable considerations. 

Middle School Services:

English Language Arts:

• Students heterogeneously grouped

• Utilizes differentiated small group instruction

• Instructional materials match students reading levels and interests

Accelerated Math:

• Eligible 6, 7 and 8th grade students

• G6 - Accelerated Math

• G7 - Pre-Algebra

• G8 - Algebra

Foreign Language:

• Eligible 8th grade students

• Choice of Spanish, French, German and Mandarin Chinese

• Receive high school credit

Advanced Art and Creativity:

• Eligible G8 students

• Students must complete an application process

High School Services:

Advanced Placement Classes:

• English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, European History, United States History, United States Government and Politics, Calculus AB, Calculus BS, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mechanics, French Language, Spanish Language, Studio Art 2-Design, Studio Art Drawing, Psychology

Creativity:

• Students enrolled in our Jackson School of the Arts

Many additional courses are available.  Please visit our “Programs of Study” link on the high school web page.