Extended Learning Program

The Extended Learning Program (ELP), formerly known as the Gifted & Talented Program, is an extension of our current educational system. The goal of the ELP is to create educational opportunities for students whose needs and abilities exceed those provided by the general curriculum. We believe these provisions will help gifted students to grow toward their full potential. The ELP works in conjunction with current educational programs to provide enrichment, curriculum differentiation, social and emotional support, and awareness of community opportunities for students accelerating through the general curriculum.

What we do specifically for each child will depend upon that child. Programs for the gifted do not begin with different curricula or different structures for learning, but with the different needs of each gifted learner. No two gifted individuals are alike. The uniqueness of gifted individuals makes it impossible for educators to develop and prescribe any single curriculum for the gifted, but their education can be planned so it will enhance development, including their psychological, social, emotional, intellectual, and career needs. The program develops self-advocacy among children by expanding their awareness of opportunities and developing skills to access those opportunities. Within this scope is the ultimate goal of developing within the student a desire for excellence and a sense of individual responsibility to the school, to the community, and to a changing society.