Getting the Most from the BHS Gifted Program
Dr. Jolinda Collins
Brookwood High School

What is the Gifted Program in High School?
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Gifted program classes in many subjects 9-12
AP Classes
( College-level classes )
Independent Study
Internship
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Students select as few or as many as they want.
No appearance of gifted placement is on college transcript unless student is enrolled in a gifted program class,
Directed Study, or
Internship.

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Typical Gifted Curriculum
(varies by school)
9 th Grade 10 th Grade
Gifted Language Arts
Gifted Geography or
AP Human Geography
Gifted Biology
Accelerated Geometry
(II)
(pre-requisite: Accelerated Math I)
Directed Study
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Gifted Language Arts
AP World History
AP Art History
Gifted Chemistry
Accelerated Precalculus
(pre-requisite: Accelerated Math I & II)
Directed Study

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Typical Gifted Curriculum
(varies by school)
11 th Grade 12 th Grade
Gifted Language Arts
AP U.S. History
Gifted Physics
Gifted Chemistry or
AP Chemistry
AP Statistics or
AP Calculus AB or BC
AP Art History
AP Studio Art
Directed Study
Internship
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AP English Lit or Lang
AP Spanish, French, Latin,
German
AP Government
AP Economics
AP Psychology
AP European History
AP Chemistry
AP Physics
AP Biology
AP Statistics or
AP Calculus AB or BC
AP Music Theory
AP Art History or AP Studio Art
AP Environmental Science
Internship
Directed Study

Why take Gifted and AP ® Classes?
Competitive College Admissions
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Colleges do not see any gifted testing records. The only documentation of participating in the gifted program is the student transcript with gifted, AP, Directed
Study or Internship classes.

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Being competitive for college admissions and scholarships requires rigor of schedule.

What is Rigor of Schedule?
• “
Taking the most challenging courses available in your high school’s curriculum

Factors Influencing Admission Decisions
NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2013

How are gifted classes different from honors classes?

How are gifted classes different from honors classes?
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Same textbooks usually - some alternative reading
Different assignments and instructional strategies that include greater variety and choice
Emphasis on long-term assignments
A more rapid pace with less rote work
Focus on the why and how more often than on what
Concentration on causes and significance of events, issues, and interrelationships of ideas
Higher level thinking skills more often employed
Preparation for AP ® classes
More class discussion

Do students have to take all gifted classes?
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No.
Example: all gifted classes except math
Example: gifted math and science classes only
However, students need to be aware of the potential impact on college admissions if they choose to weaken their transcripts with less challenging classes.
A weak transcript does not compare favorably for college admissions or scholarships.

What is an AP ® course?
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College-level coursework completed at the secondary level
Opportunity to earn college credit through national AP Exams
Preparation for the national AP Exams
Superior college preparation
Development of habits of mind necessary for managing the rigors of college

Why take an
Advanced Placement ® course?
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College Admission
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Rigor of Schedule has increased in importance in college admission decisions.
BHS students compete for admission and scholarships with students from all over the U.S. who have multiple AP ® classes on transcripts as well as strong
SAT scores, activities, and honors.

College Transition
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College preparation, not simply college admission, is our goal.
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Get in
. . . Stay in . . .
Succeed

An easier transition to college success
Habits of Mind
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Time Management

Average number of
AP classes on transcripts of freshman class at UGA
5
Source: Admission Director’s Speech to AP Summer
Institute at UGA, 2008

Average number of
AP classes on transcripts of students waitlisted at UGA
2

Research
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A study at Yale found that AP students performed better than non-AP students.
Compared to classmates of similar ability, AP students were more likely to maintain a B average or higher and to graduate with honors.
A high percentage of students lose the Hope
Grant after the first semester of college. AP students have a higher incidence of maintaining a 3.0 in college than non-AP students.

College Success
Save $ by earning enough AP Credits to graduate early or save time and do a double major.
Go to med school early!

Brookwood High School
AP Program
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Most GCPS schools offer 20+ AP ® courses such as
English Literature and Composition
English Language and Composition
Spanish, French, Latin, German
American History, European History, World History,
Psychology, Government, Economics, Geography
Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science,
Environmental Science
Statistics, Calculus AB, Calculus BC
Art History, Studio Art, Music Theory

How much college credit can students earn?
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Colleges award credit for either one class or two classes, depending on the student’s AP
Score on the national exam.
Each college or university decides its AP credit policy.
It is possible for a students to enter college with enough credit to earn Junior Status.

Bonus Points for AP Classes
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To encourage students to take these challenging courses, GCPS Board of Education policy awards 10 bonus points to AP report card grades.
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Example:
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89 + 10 = 99
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93 + 10 = 103

What is Independent Study?
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 an elective class for gifted students only an opportunity for students to study subjects outside the regular classroom that are connected to GCPS AKS.
Cannot be subject already available completion of an individual contract of study

Independent Study Examples
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Individual student contracts
Japanese, Russian, Thai
Equestrian science
Great Books or Writing a novel
Science Olympiad or Science Fair
Academic team projects
Internship with teacher in building

What is Internship class?
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 an elective class for gifted students only a student internship in a career interest working with a mentor in a profession or business leaving school the last period of the day
Students must be old enough to provide their own transportation (or parents).

Gifted Internship
Examples and Locations
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Law or architecture firm
Hospital or doctor’s office
Jimmy Carter Center
CDC
Elementary or middle school
Engineer
Georgia State Capital, Atlanta

Reach for Higher Academic Goals
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Representatives of UGA, Georgia
Tech, Georgia State, and Georgia
Southern had this advice for parents:

Reach for Higher Academic Goals
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* An easier class load may produce a higher grade point average in high school, but it also produces a student who enters college less prepared than his peers who have taken more challenging classes.
Representatives of
UGA, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, and Georgia Southern

A Tradition of Excellence
When asked why he was having his team play a tougher schedule than he had to, a winning high school football coach said,
“We don’t get any better if we play easy teams.”
Coach Dave Hunter
Retired BHS Athletic Director

“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”
Robert Browning

Questions
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General questions – Dr. Collins
Jolinda_collins@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Language Arts – Mrs. McClain
Leann_hedrick@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Math – Mrs. Gale
Chris_michael@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Science – Mrs. Settles
Kim_hamman@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Social Studies – Mrs. Blankenship
Colleen_blankenship@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Foreign Language – Mrs. Barrett
Linda_barrett@gwinnett.k12.ga.us