Getting the Most from the BHS Gifted Program Dr. Jolinda Collins Brookwood High School

What is the Gifted Program in High School? Gifted program classes in many subjects 9-12 AP Classes ( College-level classes ) Directed Study Internship 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) 9 th Grade 10 th Grade Gifted Language Arts Gifted Geography or AP Human Geography Gifted Biology Accelerated Geometry (II) (pre-requisite: Accelerated Math I) Directed Study Gifted Language Arts AP World History AP Art History Gifted Chemistry Accelerated Precalculus (pre-requisite: Accelerated Math I & II) Directed Study

Typical Gifted Curriculum (varies by school) 11 th Grade 12 th Grade 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 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 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 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? Same textbooks usually - some alternative reading Different assignments and instructional strategies that include greater variety and choice Emphasis on long-term assignments 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? No. Example: all gifted classes except math 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? 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 Individual student contracts Japanese, Russian Equestrian science Great Books or Writing a novel Science Olympiad or Science Fair Academic team projects Internship with teacher in building

What is Internship class? 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 (or parents).

Gifted Internship Examples and Locations 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? 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 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 College preparation, not simply college admission, is our goal. Get in... Stay in... Succeed

An easier transition to college success Habits of Mind Time Management

Research U.S. Dept. of Education published a landmark study Answers in the Toolbox in 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 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 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? 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 To encourage students to take these challenging courses, GCPS Board of Education policy awards 10 bonus points to AP report card grades. Example: = = 103

Reach for Higher Academic Goals Representatives of UGA, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, and Georgia Southern had this advice for parents:

Reach for Higher Academic Goals * 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 General questions – Dr. Collins Language Arts – Mrs. McClain Math – Mrs. Gale Science – Mrs. Settles Social Studies – Mrs. Blankenship Foreign Language – Mrs. Barrett