North Schuylkill School District - Home of the Spartans

Gifted Education

Welcome to North Schuylkill’s Gifted Education webpage, where Spartan pride shines through in our Gifted Education Program. Aligned with the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Chapter 16 guidelines, our program is designed to meet the diverse academic and intellectual needs of our gifted students. Using a comprehensive approach to identification, we employ multiple criteria to ensure a thorough assessment of each student's abilities. Through enriched and differentiated curriculum, we foster critical thinking, cultivate problem-solving skills, and ignite creativity, empowering our Spartans to excel both academically and personally. At North Schuylkill School District, we are committed to preparing students for lifelong success in an inclusive and supportive learning environment.

The Gifted Education Program offered by the North Schuylkill School District tailors educational opportunities to cater to the distinct needs, abilities, and interests of identified students requiring Gifted Education Services. Using various criteria, our professional staff identifies gifted students in elementary and high school settings. We enhance the curriculum through acceleration and enrichment to nurture these abilities. Our objective is to challenge gifted students with educational programs that align with their academic and intellectual talents.

North Schuylkill School District utilizes a universal screening process using school benchmark data. Grade level data meetings are held monthly to review student data and analyze students’ strengths. The student data review helps determine which students need enrichment within the curriculum and a gifted screen. The benchmark assessments reviewed at North Schuylkill include: DIBELS/Amplify for reading, DIBELS/Acadience for math, Spring Math, IXL diagnostic benchmarks, curriculum-based assessments, average grades, PSSA scores, PVAAS projections, Classroom Diagnostic Tools (CDT) and Keystones. Students are referred for a gifted screening when benchmark data is consistently above benchmark, or they are above the 90th percentile when compared to same aged peers.

Additionally, the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT), a group administered screener, is administered in Grade 2 to all students during the spring semester. If a student scores above or near 125 on the OLSAT they are recommended for a Gifted screening.

When a gifted screening is recommended at the North Schuylkill School District, parents are notified. A School Psychologist and Gifted Support Teacher gather input from teachers, available student data, which was mentioned above, and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test Second Edition Revised (K-BIT-2R) is administered. The (K-BIT-2R) provides a quick estimate of general intelligence and is based on the measurement of verbal and non-verbal abilities. The Gifted Screening also includes the following: AIMSweb benchmark for Mathematics and Reading, teacher input is gathered and Identification of any potential masking traits.

At North Schuylkill School District, when a student meets the screening criteria mentioned above, they will be referred for a full Gifted Multidisciplinary Evaluation (GMDE). The GMDE will be conducted by a District school psychologist. Additionally, parents can request an evaluation at any time.

Students in grades K-12 receive appropriate levels of differentiation in the general education classroom. Students receiving gifted support will work through the general program with opportunities for subject acceleration, individual or small group enrichment, (or a combination of both acceleration and enrichment), and curriculum compacting as needed. The enrichment portion is based on the student's individual areas of strength. There is a small portion of the elementary gifted program that is a pull out/check in framework. In the upper elementary and middle school levels, the options for enrichment and acceleration are both pull out and subject centered acceleration. In some cases, gifted students may be served through grade level promotion.

Also, in middle and high school, acceleration and enrichment is accomplished through a combination of course selection (the higher-level courses offered provide the majority of a gifted students’ enrichment/acceleration) and meeting with the gifted instructor. In addition, students may choose dual enrollment in college courses and/or choose a gifted annual goal that is career focused.

We invite parents to connect with our gifted teacher or administrators at any time to initiate a screening or evaluation for their child. We are committed to ensuring that every student has access to the tailored support and enriching opportunities they deserve to excel academically and personally.