Getting the Most
from the BHS Gifted Program
Ms. 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)
Directed 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.
Typical Gifted Curriculum
(varies by school)
9th Grade
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Gifted Language Arts
Gifted Geography or
AP Human Geography
Gifted Biology
Accelerated Geometry
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(II)
(pre-requisite: Accelerated Math I)
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Directed Study
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Gifted Foreign Language is available
at some grade levels.
10th Grade
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Gifted Language Arts
Gifted World History or
AP World History
AP Art History
Gifted Chemistry
Accelerated Precalculus
(pre-requisite: Accelerated Math I & II)
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Directed Study
Typical Gifted Curriculum
(varies by school)
11th Grade
12th Grade
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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.
Competition
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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
How are gifted classes
different from honors classes?
Different,
Not more
How are gifted classes
different from honors classes?
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Same textbooks usually - some alternative reading
Different assignments and instructional strategies
Emphasis on long-term assignments rather than daily
work
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.
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Example: all gifted classes except math
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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 Directed 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
Directed Study Examples
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Individual student contracts
Japanese, Russian
Equestrian science
Writing a novel
Great Books
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.
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
City hall planning and development
Georgia State Capital, Atlanta
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?
AP Classes facilitate
 College Admission
 College Transition
 College Success
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.
Get in
. . . Stay in . . .
Succeed
An easier transition to
college success
Habits of Mind
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Time Management
Research
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U.S. Dept. of Education published a
landmark study Answers in the Toolbox in
1999.
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This twelve year longitudinal study showed
that the rigor of courses of “academic
intensity and quality” found in AP and IB
classes was the single most powerful
predictor of bachelor’s degree completion,
much more accurate than GPA or test
scores.
College Success
Save $ by earning enough AP Credits
to graduate early or save time and do
a double major.
Go to med school early!
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.
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
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
A Tradition of Excellence
“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his
grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”
Robert Browning
Choose Challenge
Questions
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General questions – Ms. Collins
Jolinda_collins@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Language Arts – Mrs. Hedrick
Leann_hedrick@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Math – Mr. Michael
Chris_michael@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Science – Ms. Hamman
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