Our Challenge program enriches and extends the academic learning of gifted students. The program provides a foundational experience through cross-curricular projects and explicitly targets the higher-order thinking skills that are central to gifted education. The curriculum is structured around engaging, interdisciplinary units that allow for deep exploration and skill application through three lenses: STEM, humanities, and creative.
Fundamental Concepts & Thinking Skills:
- Evaluation: Judging information and making predictions.
- Synthesis: Combining ideas to create new products.
- Analysis: Understanding relationships within information.
- Application: Using knowledge in new situations.
- Comprehension: Understanding concepts and texts.
- Knowledge: Recalling information.
The Challenge Program curriculum documents can be found under the Curriculum dropdown, within the specific building page.
Challenge Identification
Students are assessed using multiple measures, including the MAP assessment for
achievement and a district-designated aptitude assessment. The aptitude tool is
designed to demonstrate individual problem-solving skills, and it does not require
any preparation. The data is then normalized by grade-level. The national average of
identified students is 6-8% of the population.