Students who are exceptionally bright are found in full-time self-contained classrooms, magnet schools, pullout programs, resource rooms, regular classrooms, and every combination of these settings. No matter where they obtain their education, they need an appropriately differentiated curriculum designed to address their individual characteristics, needs, abilities, and interests. Some students will require only one option to meet their needs while other students may require a combination of two or more services.

Teacher consultation

The minimum service offered by a district is usually teacher consultation. This service is provided to a regular classroom teacher to assist with designing lesson plans or finding advanced materials. Regular classroom teachers may not have the time to find the best materials to challenge their bright students, so teachers meet with a specialist weekly or monthly to create lesson plans and review student progress.

Pullout programs/Resource rooms

Resource rooms are used when students are "pulled out" of the regular classroom for some time daily or weekly for the purpose of interacting with other gifted students and working on differentiated curriculum. The classes are usually smaller than the regular classroom and are staffed by a certified teacher of the gifted. The curriculum offered in these classes is differentiated from the regular classroom curriculum in a way that fits the unique needs of the students. The location of the resource room could be in the child’s home school, several schools could transport their identified students to another school building, or the district could have one center in which all gifted students are served.

Special classes

Special classes are used to provide services to gifted students on a daily basis. Students may be placed in the classroom for one or more periods per day or, in the case of block scheduling, every other day. A certified teacher of the gifted staffs the class, allowing the students to pursue curriculum that is differentiated from the regular grade level at their own ability level and pace. Special classes are similar to a resource room program except that the students are not missing, or "pulled-out" of another class or program to participate.

Cluster grouping

Cluster grouping is the practice of placing four to six identified gifted students in the same regular classroom with a teacher having had special training on how to teach gifted students. Cluster grouping is receiving more attention as a programming option for gifted youth. The other students in the class are of mixed ability. This method is different from ability grouping in that the other students are heterogeneously grouped. The "cluster" of gifted students allows them to learn together while avoiding permanent grouping arrangements for their classmates.

Cluster grouping should not be the only service provided to students identified as gifted. This should be provided in conjunction with other services which allow the gifted students time to interact with their intellectual peers. 

Full-time gifted services

Full-time service for gifted students is another option in providing comprehensive gifted education programming. Identified gifted students are grouped together all day with the possible exception of specialty classes, such as art and physical education, lunch, and recess.

Class sizes are generally smaller than in the regular classroom and services can be targeted to meet the needs of the gifted in every area. All curriculum can be differentiated to be appropriate for the students’ level of abilities. Acceleration and curriculum compacting (see Curriculum compacting below) can be used in each content area. The instructional processes used and products created can be differentiated from what may be experienced in the regular classroom.

This option is most often reserved for the highly gifted child, generally incorporating a range extending from IQ 150 to IQ 180 and over, although all gifted students will benefit from prolonged exposure to other students of similar interests and abilities. For optimal learning for the highly gifted, they should be placed in full-day programs, conducted by specially trained teachers using a specially tailored curriculum.

Mentoring

One of the most valuable experiences a gifted student can have is exposure to a mentor who is willing to share personal values, a particular interest, and their time, talents, and skills. Mentoring does not imply an internship or apprenticeship and it is not merely for the acquisition of knowledge or skills, although the student does learn these things from a mentor. A mentorship is a dynamic shared relationship in which values, attitudes, passions, and traditions are passed from one person to another.

Acceleration

Acceleration is the practice of allowing a student to move through learning material in a content area class or a grade level prior to the prescribed timeframe, based on early mastery. This can be achieved by pre- and post-testing and allowing students who demonstrate mastery at an accepted level to progress at their own pace to other material. Students can be accelerated in one or more content areas or be grade accelerated, more commonly known as "grade skipping." This strategy has been found to be successful in preventing or reversing underachievement in gifted students.

In elementary school, acceleration can take the form of early entrance to or exit from a grade level.  In secondary schools, acceleration can take the form of honors or Advanced Placement courses, subject acceleration (i.e., a 9th grade student enrolling in 11th grade courses), dual enrollment with a postsecondary institution, the International Baccalaureate program, and/or early graduation.

Some critics have argued that acceleration hinders students’ social and emotional development because they are placed in classes with other students much older. While each student will progress through levels of social and emotional development at different speeds, research has shown that acceleration results in higher levels of social development and participant satisfaction, as well as academic achievement.

Dual enrollment

This option allows high school students to enroll in college while still attending high school. Juniors and seniors may enroll if they meet the school district's and college's criteria. Freshmen and sophomore may enroll in college courses if they have an IEP and a B average.

Distance Learning

There are hundreds of colleges and companies offering online, video, and correspondence courses. When a school does not offer an advanced class, distance learning is one of the best ways to provide challenge to bright students.

• Website: Virtual School for the Gifted
• Website: Stanford EPGY
• Website: Duke TIP "Learn on Your Own" Program
• Website: Johns Hopkins Distance Learning Project
• Website: Apex AP Courses
• Website: Distance and Independent Study courses from the University of Missouri
• Website: UT Online High School and College

Curriculum compacting

Curriculum compacting is a teaching method used to complete a prescribed amount of content in a shorter period of time than usual. This entails pre- and post-testing students to determine current knowledge; enriching students coursework through independent study, alternative assignments, and higher level material; and/or pairing them with a tutor or mentor.

All children benefit greatly from curriculum paced according to their individual needs. The gifted child is no different. The low to moderately gifted child, who spends a majority of his or her instructional time in the regular classroom should be targeted for this service option. In addition to other service options which provide gifted students opportunities to interact with their intellectual peers, such as a pullout program or a special class, curriculum compacting should be part of a comprehensive plan of service to gifted students.

Flexible ability grouping

Flexible ability grouping is the grouping of students for instruction according to their ability level. This is different from tracking in that students are not in the same group for every subject and they can move in and out of groups as their skills increase. This is different from cooperative learning in that the grouping is for instructional purposes and the goal is not solely to improve social skills. The students are placed in a group of children with like abilities, the content is modified to be appropriate for the abilities of the group, and the students may or may not complete their assignments individually.

Flexible ability grouping also allows school districts to provide additional services on a daily basis in the regular classroom. Similar to curriculum compacting, this option is a good partner to other service options which allow gifted students interaction with other gifted children. The content taught to the group with the highest abilities in a given content area may be compacted, as well.

Independent study

Independent study allows students to pursue a topic of interest at their own level and pace. This may be done within the context of some of the other service options or separately. A student may independently study a topic in a resource room, in a special class, or in the regular classroom. This option provides a maximum amount of flexibility because the student and the teacher establish the parameters of the assignment, the topic, process, product, and completion date in advance. Then the student is on his or her way, independent of the rest of the class.

Cooperative learning

Cooperative learning is a set of instructional strategies which employ small teams of pupils to promote peer interaction and cooperation for studying academic subjects. These "teams" can be determined based on age or ability or they may be heterogeneously mixed. Cooperative learning is based on the beliefs that all students are capable of understanding, learning, and performing leadership tasks; the most effective student groups are heterogeneous; students need to learn to recognize and value their dependence upon each other; the ability to work effectively in a group is determined by the acquisition of specific social skills; and student groups are more likely to attempt resolution of their problems if they are not "rescued" by their teacher.

Cooperative learning is a controversial method to use with gifted children because of a lack of evidence showing any positive effects on gifted students’ achievement. In addition, the material used is limited to grade level in content and pace and not differentiated for gifted students’ level of ability. There are also concerns that gifted students are used as junior teachers instead of being challenged to excel, and that cooperative learning will be mistaken with and/or used instead of curriculum compacting and other service options for the gifted.

Academic competition

Recently, there has been an increase in the popularity of academic competitions which focus on inventiveness, creativity, ingenuity, and problem solving (e.g., Destination Imagination, ThinkQuest, Future Problem Solvers). Gifted students enjoy the challenge of these competitions and may work harder and be more resourceful than they have in past projects. The chance for students to work on a common goal with other students of like interests and abilities, and to be recognized for their efforts, is appealing to the students, and to their teachers and parents.

While it is true that gifted students enjoy a little friendly competition, it is important to understand that the potential dangers lurking in this option (over competitiveness, loss of perspective, and the adult pressure inherent in organized competitions) are twofold. First, many schools will limit participation in these competitions to only identified gifted students. The cleverness required to do well in academic competitions is not the sole possession of gifted students. Secondly, it is possible that the school district will view the "team" as the gifted program or expect the teacher of the gifted to devote class time to practicing for the competition.

Note: This page was adapted from a 1997 Missouri SDE brochure, "GIFTED EDUCATION: Making a Positive Difference"