Gifted and Talented

The Mount Olive Township School District is committed to providing a personalized learning experience for ALL Students.
Mission:
The mission of the Gifted and Talented program is to create inclusive learning opportunities that inspire advanced learners to think deeply and grow as individuals. We nurture students’ unique strengths through enrichment, differentiation, and challenge. By supporting the whole child with engaging, interdisciplinary experiences, we cultivate creativity, curiosity, and problem-solving while keeping students connected to their school community.

Vision:
The vision of the Gifted and Talented program is to develop curious, creative, and resilient learners who embrace challenges and explore knowledge with passion. We empower students to use their talents with purpose by building confidence, compassion, and collaboration. By encouraging critical thinking and innovation, the program prepares students to contribute meaningfully to their communities and thrive in an ever-changing world.

Understanding the Process

Identifying Students for Gifted & Talented Services
Appealing a Decision

Identifying Students for Gifted & Talented Services

Our district is committed to ongoing identification and support of students with exceptional academic abilities. In the spring of each year, K-8 schools will follow a structured, thoughtful process to ensure all students have an opportunity to be considered for our G&T program and services.

Our School Teams

Each school will establish a dedicated G&T committee made up of:

The principal and/or vice principal
Teachers
Counselors and/or Child Study Team (CST) members
Other staff as apporpriate

This team will work together to review student data and make informed decisions.

How Students Are Considered

Students are identified for Gifted and Talented programming through a multi-step process that considers multiple measures of ability and achievement. Committees review nominations alongside district-wide benchmark scores in both math and ELA to identify students demonstrating the highest levels of achievement. Students who do not initially meet the cut-off may be invited to complete portions of the CogAT test, which measures reasoning and problem-solving abilities rather than academic knowledge. This ensures that students have the opportunity to be identified not only for their academic performance, but also for their cognitive potential. Committees also conduct a broader review of schoolwide data and gather input from teachers and staff on students’ thinking skills, creativity, and academic habits, ensuring that students who demonstrate a need for this type of support are identified even if they were not formally nominated. Final decisions are made using this profile and families are notified once the process is complete.

Appealing a Decision

Parents, students, and/or teachers may appeal decisions regarding placement in Gifted & Talented programming by following these steps after recieving a placement notification:

Submit an Appeal Form: Complete and submit the appeal request form by the deadline provided in the placement notification. Only appeals received by the established due date will be given full consideration.
Committee Review: A selection committee will re-examine available student data as well as any documentation submitted with the program appeal. The committee may also request additional testing or data collection, and may meet with the student and/or parents.

Notification of Decision: Families will be notified of the committee’s decision approximately 2–4 weeks after submission.

Our Programs

Elementary Schools

The Elementary School Gifted and Talented classes provide enriched, differentiated learning experiences that support students’ individual strengths and extend their classroom learning. All students identified for the program receive differentiated instruction in their regular classrooms to ensure their learning needs are met. In addition, they participate in a pull-out class during one of their WINN periods, where instruction builds on and deepens the curricular topics covered in their core classes. Learning experiences are interdisciplinary, designed to foster creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving while encouraging curiosity and a deeper understanding of complex ideas. Through collaborative projects, independent exploration, and real-world applications, students are challenged to think beyond grade-level expectations. Students may continue in the program from year to year as long as they meet the program’s requirements throughout the school year.

Middle School

The Middle School Gifted and Talented classes provide advanced, interdisciplinary learning experiences that challenge students to think critically, solve problems creatively, and develop their leadership skills. Instruction is designed to extend and enrich student learning through compacting and acceleration, allowing each child to explore their strengths and pursue topics of complexity beyond grade level. Curriculum themes connect history, culture, and STEAM, encouraging in-depth research, primary source analysis, and real-world problem-solving. Students may continue in the program from year to year as long as they meet the program’s requirements throughout the school year.

High School

At the high school level, students have the opportunity to extend their learning through a variety of acceleration, compaction, and enrichment options. These include an extensive selection of Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses, as well as a wide range of electives and extracurricular opportunities. Students may begin taking some of these courses in their freshman year. Through these offerings academically motivated students can deepen their knowledge and explore areas of passion beyond the core curriculum.

In This Section

Gifted and Talented

Understanding the Process

Identifying Students for Gifted & Talented Services

Appealing a Decision

Our Programs

Elementary Schools

Middle School

High School

Resources

Policy and Regulation

G&T Organizations

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