Gifted & Advanced Academics

Universal Screening for Giftedness

At KIPP Baltimore, we universally screen all students in Kindergarten for identification as gifted learners using the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT3). We also screen all students in grades 1-8 who are new to Baltimore City Schools. Finally, our Gifted and Advanced Learning team engages in ongoing screening of students in grades 1-8 who are demonstrating evidence of potential giftedness. All students are exposed to analogical reasoning prior to screening to ensure that they are ready to perform to the best of their ability.

Instruction for Gifted Learners

All of our gifted learners, regardless of identification, receive an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) which details the accelerated coursework and enrichment opportunities designed to meet each student’s strengths while also remediating any areas of need. At KIPP Baltimore public charter schools, gifted learning is fully integrated into each school’s academic program:

KIPP Harmony Academy (PreK-5)
All kindergarten students are screened for giftedness by the end of December. Prior to screening, our kindergarten team works to pre-expose all students to analogical thinking and nonverbal reasoning. Once kindergarten students are identified as gifted learners, our team works to develop an Individualized Learning Plan supporting their needs within their current classroom. In first-fifth grades, gifted students are supported in Gifted and Advanced Learning (GAL) cluster homerooms. Within cluster homerooms, there is a small group of gifted students among a larger class so that their teachers can focus on providing the academic acceleration needs of their group of gifted learners as part of our existing math and reading intervention structures. In upper elementary grades (3-5), some gifted learners begin to receive pullout instruction from our Gifted and Advanced Learning team. Students may receive pullout instruction to meet academic needs that require significant acceleration, remediation, or alternative instructional methods.

KIPP Ujima Village Academy (Grades 6-8)
In middle school, our gifted students are supported by accessing our honors coursework as well as additional acceleration and enrichment opportunities, including completion of honors coursework for science and social studies. In science, gifted learners will engage in enrichment via opportunities such as Science Fair, and in social studies gifted learners have access to enrichment opportunities such as National History Day.

Additionally, our students can access above-grade-level honors coursework via our Advanced Math Program (AMP) and Advanced Reading Comprehension (ARC). Students in AMP classes complete 6th to 8th-grade math at an accelerated pace to complete Algebra I in 8th grade. Similarly, students in ARC classes complete 6th to 8th grade reading at an accelerated pace so that they can complete English I in 9th grade.

Acceleration

At KIPP, we are committed to subject and grade level acceleration to support the needs of learners who are performing significantly above grade level in math or reading.

In order to be considered for subject acceleration, identified gifted learners must have demonstrated performance on nationally normed or standardized academic assessments showing that they are performing significantly above grade level. Our team works with Baltimore City Schools’ Office of Gifted and Advanced Learning to obtain approval for subject acceleration for math and reading as necessary to support the academic needs of these students. Gifted learners who are approved for subject acceleration will complete and be graded on above-grade-level content such as in the following scenarios:

• As an outcome of full cognitive testing, as well as their MAP ELA and DIBELS scores, a 1st grade student is approved by the Gifted and Advanced Learning office at Baltimore City Schools for subject acceleration in ELA. That student will attend second grade for phonics instruction and will return to 1st grade for instruction in reading comprehension as well as writing.
• An identified gifted learner in fifth grade is approved by the Gifted and Advanced Learning office at Baltimore City Schools for subject acceleration in math. That student will attend sixth-grade  Advanced Math Program (AMP) math classes, which cover sixth-grade  and half of seventh-grade math content.
• An identified gifted learner in seventh grade who took sixth grade AMP math classes last year is approved by the Gifted and Advanced Learning office at Baltimore City Schools for subject acceleration in math. That student will attend eighth-grade AMP math classes covering Algebra 1.

How to be Approved for Acceleration
To be approved for grade level acceleration, identified gifted learners must have academic scores in the 90th percentile or higher in both ELA and Mathematics on a nationally normed assessment such as the NWEA/MAP. They must also complete a full cognitive assessment such as the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) with a score in the 90th percentile or higher. If a gifted learner could potentially be eligible for further cognitive testing for grade-level acceleration, our Gifted and Advanced Learning team will contact the student’s guardian(s) to discuss the process for grade-level acceleration.

Compliance with Gifted and Talented Education Code of Maryland Regulation 13A.04.07 & Baltimore City Schools Regulation IHBB-RA: Gifted and Advanced Learning

Maryland’s Gifted and Talented Education Regulations ensure that local school systems identify gifted students and develop the gifted education programs and services needed to develop the full potential of gifted students. All students must be universally screened for giftedness no later than third grade. Schools must use universal screening and approved assessment measures to identify gifted students formally. School systems are required to develop a continuum of developmentally appropriate services to support the academic and social-emotional growth of gifted students. School systems are required to work towards equitable identification of gifted students including gender, race, language, disability, and socio-economic status to identify at least 10% of students as gifted.

Baltimore City Schools’ Regulation for Gifted and Advanced Learning requires that all schools use a three-tiered system of identification of gifted learners into gifted, advanced, and talent development along with the development of a continuum of supports to develop the potential of these students. Additionally, schools are required to create and implement Individualized Learning Plans to support the unique learning needs of all gifted students.

The education provided to KIPP Baltimore’s gifted learners exceeds the requirements of Maryland’s requirements for equitable identification of gifted learners.