GT - Gifted and Talented
Fox Ridge Middle School is committed to meeting the needs of all of our students, and we, therefore, offer rich, rigorous, challenging curriculum in all facets of our academic program. Our students will have the knowledge, skills, intellectual curiosity, and habits of mind that will secure their success in a wide variety of high school programs, including International Baccalaureate, College Preparatory, and Advanced Placement/Honors classes.
Our Gifted Education Programming Model:
Fox Ridge uses a “push in” model for GT, meaning that students are kept on their grade level teams/classes unless they are accelerated to a higher leveled class based on a body of evidence which may include TCAP scores, MAP scores, a student’s area of identified aptitude/talent, and teacher recommendation. Students enter our school with different strengths, talents, and experiences; therefore, our programming continually evolves to meet their varied needs. In keeping with the district’s approach to programming and services, Fox Ridge also uses a three-tiered model to support the needs of our gifted and advanced learners. Examples of the services for each tier are outlined below. Please know that student placement and programming are at the forefront of our mission at Fox Ridge, and a diligent effort goes into ensuring your child is placed in the correct classes.
Intensive Level – This level is designed to meet the needs of 1-10% of the population. In addition to the programming and services received at the targeted and universal level, students may additionally be supported through radical acceleration (subject/grade skipping), duel enrollment (enrollment in high school/college coursework), specialized counseling, independent studies (GT Exploratory Elective) and other specialized coursework.
Targeted Level – At this level, 10-30% of the gifted and advanced student population receives additional support to meet their needs. Examples of this type of support could be: advanced or accelerated coursework (Advanced/Honors Language Arts or accelerated Mathematics classes), independent studies, specialized electives (GT Exploratory and other content specific classes), targeted counseling, academic reinforcement (AVID, ELA), and school/district competitions (e.g. Spelling Bee, Chess Tournament, Brain Bowl, Inside/Out, Cardboard Challenge, and Destination Imagination). Please see the FRMS Course Guide for details on class placement and requirements students must meet for each accelerated class level.
Universal Level – At the universal level, all students are provided with high-quality and rigorous instruction in both their required classwork (Mathematics, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies) and their elective programming. Teachers also support the needs of gifted and advanced learners at this level through pre-assessments, curriculum compacting, differentiated instruction, flexible pacing and grouping, and ongoing progress monitoring using both formative and summative assessments. After school clubs and enrichment opportunities also support the needs of gifted and advanced learners at this level. For a detailed list of these opportunities available to students, please visit the Athletics & Clubs page on our FRMS website.
Click here for a printable Overview of GT at FRMS.pdf