Intermediate Grade Gifted Instruction in Public Schools

If you haven’t already done so, please read Dr. Sokolinski’s first blog on primary grade gifted instruction in public schools before continuing with her second entry, which discusses intermediate grades.

Welcome to the Vanguard Gifted Academy educational blog. I’m Dr. Susan Sokolinski, and I serve on Vanguard Gifted Academy’s Board of Trustees. This is installment three in our series Selecting the Best School for Your Gifted Child. This week we’ll hone in on fourth- and fifth-grade gifted instruction in public schools.

Standardized assessment data from the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests is the primary data used to identify students for enrichment services. The district administers the MAP tests three times each year — in the fall, in the winter and in the spring. Students in the fourth and fifth grades must demonstrate a trend of being in the 95th percentile or higher in order to receive consideration for enrichment math and reading services in the district. There is an appeals process parents, teachers or administrators can initiate if any of them believe that a student whose MAP scores do not meet the 95th percentile criteria may be a viable candidate for the enrichment program. To make a case, they use data from classroom assessments in these identification and appeals processes. Additionally, schools consider soft data, including a student’s work ethic, curiosity, creativity and approach to challenges, as they reassess placing fourth- and fifth-grade students.

Guided reading and guided math are models the district’s elementary schools use to deliver differentiated math and reading instruction for all students. All instruction has a grounding in Common Core State Standards. Fourth- and fifth-grade students identified for enrichment support in math receive their instruction from enrichment teachers outside of their classrooms during the grade-level math blocks. 

Acceleration of math instruction begins in fourth grade. Teachers use a variety of instructional resources and materials to teach aligned fourth- and fifth-grade Common Core State Standards during the fourth-grade math enrichment year. It was very challenging for me to present two years of standards in one year and still have time for the long-term, in-depth projects that gifted children need and thrive on.

Fifth-graders who receive enrichment math services undergo a single year of Common Core-based instruction. Therefore, more time is available for fifth-grade students to engage in collaborative, project-based learning. The vast majority of students who successfully complete the accelerated math instruction in their fourth- and fifth-grade years continue to achieve at high levels in math in their following middle school years. 

Fourth- and fifth-grade students identified for enrichment in reading receive their reading instruction in their classrooms from their classroom teachers using Junior Great Books and Jacob’s Ladder resources during the guided reading block. 

In addition to the enrichment coaches, classroom teachers have access to support services provided by school psychologists, social workers and ELL teachers to support their work with high-achieving and gifted students. The district's elementary teachers often collaborate in grade-level, cross-grade-level and multidisciplinary teams to support student needs, including the unique needs of high-achieving and gifted learners.

The information I presented in this blog comes from my experiences and may not necessarily reflect the gifted services available in other public schools. However, I do hope that this information helps you formulate questions as you work to identify an educational setting that is best for your child and your family. 

Thank you for reading our Vanguard educational blog. Please return for the next entry when Trista McMorrow will address the question, “Should I homeschool my gifted child?” In the meantime, browse testimonials praising Vanguard’s differentiated approach to schooling to understand its profound impact on gifted students.