Palm Beach School District Gifted Programs

My daughter went through the Palm Beach Schools gifted program from elementary through middle school and is now in AP courses in high school so I know first hand about gifted programs.

The Palm Beach School District is one of the few Florida school districts offering kindergarten gifted programs or gifted classes.  I am frequently asked the question, “What is required to qualify for the public school’s gifted program?”  The most common way for a student to qualify for the public school gifted program is to have an IQ score that is at or above the 98th percentile on an individually administered IQ test.  There are different IQ tests for preschool and school age children.  In Palm Beach County, the child must also demonstrate academic achievement at the 90th percentile or higher in reading or mathematics.  Finally, the child’s current teacher completes a gifted checklist describing your child’s classroom learning.  The psychoeducational evaluation takes about an hour and a half to complete.

I created an exclusive Gifted Parent Preparation Program to help parents prepare their child for gifted testing.  This testing influences your child’s future so I want to make sure you, and your child are prepared.  Let’s work together to help your child feel comfortable and confident about the testing experience.

According to the Educational Resource Information Center, research on gifted education indicates: Gifted students benefit from learning together and should be placed with similar students in their areas of strength.  It has been extremely difficult for regular education teachers to differentiate curriculum to meet the needs of gifted students in mixed ability classrooms.  When cooperative learning has been used in the regular education classroom, gifted students often become tutors and learn less academic content. Gifted students frequently know many concepts introduced in the regular education class and waste a lot of time.

Call me to discuss your child and especially if your child’s teacher has suggested testing.  This is a great sign of an advanced child since teachers have a great base to compare what is ‘normal’ or typical and what is advanced.