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General Gifted Program Information |
If you are moving into the district from out-of-state or from another county within the state of Florida this is important information you should know about the Gifted Programs in Pinellas County.
Elementary Level: Gifted Program classes are available in all of our elementary schools.~ If there are a sufficient number of gifted students in the school, the program is based in the school and the students attend the gifted class at their home school one day per week.~ The day in which the student attends depends on their grade level.~ If there is a very small population of students in the school, the students may be bussed to a neighboring center school to attend the one day per week pull-out program with other gifted students.
The classes are of the enrichment type with a theme being taught in which we integrate all of the various curriculum classes.~Themes such as Marine Biology, Early Egyptians, Art History through the Ages, Inventions, Medieval Times, Great Explorations and other interesting and educational units have been taught in the past. A part of their day is also set aside to do enrichment math activities to increase math problem solving skills.~ Along with these activities higher order thinking skills are taught throughout the day.
The district has one full-time gifted elementary school called Ridgecrest Elementary.~ Students attend this school five days per week and attend general education classes taught by certified teachers of the gifted.~ This is a highly academic program with all of the students working at a high level. This is considered a magnet school and you must apply to this school in October of the previous year to be accepted if space is available. You may receive further information and an application by calling Ridgecrest at 727 588-3580.
Middle School Level: At the middle school level the general gifted class is one period per day, five days per week in all of our middle schools except Bay Point Middle.~ The sixth grade curriculum is an Investigation of Great Literature. The seventh and eighth grade elective classes are similar to humanities classes and students investigate topics such as archaeology, anthropology, sociology, psychology and others. The district also has specialized Gifted Programs in math and science in eight of our middle schools.~Students must have current math and reading stanines of seven or higher obtained on a standardized test to attend these classes. More information can by acquired
on these classes by contacting the phone number at the end of this information page.
We do not offer gifted programs in high school classes at this time due to the numerous magnet school programs opportunities offered to high school students.~ Information on high school magnets may be obtained by calling the magnet office at (727) 588-6432.
The Florida Department of Education (DOE) requires gifted students to have an IQ two standard deviations above the mean (an IQ of 130 or above) in the State of Florida.~ If your child has not been administered an individualized IQ test by a school or licensed private psychologist, a temporary placement can be made if they have been attending Gifted Programs in another state, but an IQ will need to be done at a later date to show that they qualify according to the DOE state rule. You child must also demonstrate the characteristics of a gifted student and show a need for programming beyond the regular classroom.
Student placement in the Pinellas District is through a school choice application process.~ You must apply through the Family Education and Information Centers.~ We have two in the county.~ In north county the number is (727) 298-2858 and the south county number is (727) 552-1595. I highly recommend that you contact one of these centers to obtain all of the information necessary to enroll you child in the Pinellas District.
Sometimes it is easier to explain all of the details of program placement over the telephone.~ If you need further information, please contact:
Jenny Klimis, Supervisor of Gifted Programs, (727) 588-6088
or at
301 4th Street SW, Largo, FL 33770
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