Saint Paul Public School's Elementary Gifted Services are designed to help children accelerate, enrich, and grow in an environment matched to their abilities. Each school creates Gifted Services to enhance their educational program. Given the individual and unique personality of each school population, Gifted Services vary from school to school.

The Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) is the means of delivering Gifted Services in most elementary buildings. There are three types of activities in SEM. Type I activities allow students to explore new interests. Type II activities teach creative and critical thinking skills and research skills. Type III applies what children have learned to real world investigations. Many schools offer Enrichment Clusters which are group experiences with the goals of a Type III project.

Celebrations of learning include Showcases or Fairs. Schools may participate in a variety of academic competitions, including Destination Imagination, History Day, Young Inventors Fair, or a host of other math, science, art, or literacy competitions.

Elementary schools may offer Differentiated Curriculum through flexible grouping, cross-age grouping, cluster grouping, or curriculum compacting. Classroom teachers work with the Gifted Specialist to meet the needs of individual students.

Many schools have a full-time Gifted Specialist who works with identified students along with other students who need to be challenged in a particular subject. Other schools have part-time Gifted Specialists who are responsible for meeting the needs of gifted students. Speak with the Gifted Specialist at the elementary school of your choice to learn of the Gifted Services offered at that building.

For additional information contact:
Ashley Cannaday
Gifted Services Program Manager PK-12
(651) 793-5525
ashley.cannaday@spps.org
or
Linda Sparling
Gifted Services Coach PK-12
(651) 793-5568
linda.lee.sparling@spps.org

Center for Academic Excellence
1001 Johnson Parkway
Saint Paul, MN 55106
(651) 793-5507 (Fax)