All Grade 2 students are screened for gifted and talented during the second semester of the school year. Grade 3-5 students who are new to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) or who have been recommended for re-screening (by parents and/or school staff) are screened during the first semester of each year. Gifted and talented screening occurs at the student’s school. The data gathered on each student is used to provide appropriate differentiated instruction.

All students have an equal opportunity to be considered for identification regardless of special needs, linguistic, or cultural differences. Advocacy is a vital component of the professional decision making process.

There are seven elementary center programs for the highly gifted. They are located at Barnsley Elementary, Chevy Chase Elementary, Clearspring Elementary, Cold Spring Elementary, Drew Elementary, Fox Chapel Elementary, and Pine Crest/Oak View Elementary Schools for Grades 4 and 5. The goal of the center programs is to provide full-time instruction that is accelerated and enriched.

In the fall, applications for the Center Program for the Highly Gifted are mailed to all parents of Grade 3 students in MCPS. Parents who are interested in having their child considered for the Center Program should complete the application and return it to their student's current school. Parents of non-MCPS students who are interested in applying must request an application by contacting Betty_Shevitz@mcpsmd.org. A selection committee carefully reviews the following data on each applicant to select students for the center programs:

• An above grade level test
• Grade 2 global screening data
• Report card data
• Parent recommendation
• School recommendation

Testing takes place in January at the student's home school. Private school students are tested on a specified date and testing information is included in the Private School Application Packet which may be requested from Betty Shevitz at 301-592-2063.

Learn more about the Center Program for the Highly Gifted.

There are four middle school programs that provide opportunities for students with strong interest and motivation in the areas of math, science and computer science OR the areas of the humanities and communication. Each of the program models is designed for those students working well above grade level and provides a challenging curriculum that is integrated across the focus areas. Students interested in math, science, and computer science can apply during December of their fifth grade year to participate in the program at Takoma Park or Roberto Clemente middle school. Students may also apply to the Humanities and Communication Programs at Eastern or Roberto Clemente middle school. Learn more about Math, Science, Computer Science magnets and the Humanities and Communication magnet.

In addition, there are special programs for foreign language study. MCPS has two French Immersion programs that provide a two-period block in which students pursue both the target language and their social studies course work in French. These are located at Silver Spring International and Gaithersburg middle schools. A similar program model is provided for students of Spanish Immersion at Silver Spring International and Westland middle schools. The Special Programs site has information on foreign language immersion for middle school students.

Students requiring acceleration in their mathematics program beyond the resources of their middle schools can request to take a first period course at their local high school. For example, in specific cases, a student who has completed Honors Geometry in Grade 7, could register for Algebra 2 at the high school. If Honors Geometry is not available in the local middle school, similar arrangements can be made on request. About Honors coursework.

There are also challenging opportunities available as extracurricular activities and coursework on college campuses. Destination Imagination provides problems that require both imagination and creativity. The Maryland State Department of Education designs a variety of Summer Center Programs that appeal to students in the middle school years and Montgomery College offers both Saturday programs as well as summer course work and many of its campuses. See Beyond the Classroom.

Coming soon...