Identification

Every student is unique and must receive services appropriate to his or her needs and aspirations.  The intellectually and academically gifted student is provided service under the Kansas state mandate. Identification is need-based and consists of a multi-source assessment of student abilities and characteristics, including questionnaires by parents and teachers, interviews, product reviews, and other assessments as needed.

 Individualized, differentiated activities are provided to help meet the needs and maximize the full potential of every gifted student.  Each student's I.E.P. (Individual Education Plan) is carefully designed to fulfill special needs as diagnosed by families and professionals, and to inspire self-confidence, encourage interests, foster creativity, and enhance communication skills. 

Parents receive a Progress Report each quarter. No grades are given to students in the EL program. We want them to be in an environment where risk-taking and creativity are encouraged and learning is an instrinsic goal.

What Do We Do?

The philosophy of the Highlands EL Center is based on the Autonomous Learner Model. This model focuses on the individual student as a whole person and strives to provide the skills necessary for life long learning. 

Students can expect their day to be organized into several parts:

Individual Activities/Goal/"Contract Time": Students will work a minimum of one hour a day on individual activities based on their IEP (Individual Education Plan) goals and benchmarks. Students write a contract each quarter with teacher assistance to determine specific areas of work. The contract includes a timeline and resources necessary to complete the job, and plans for the final product. Students self-evaluate their contract work at the end of each quarter.

Group Activities: These are teacher-led activities based on process skills or academic content. Although the content may be the same for each student, the process and/or the final product may be individualized. Some examples of past curriculum include Mock Trial,  Investigating Structures, Designing Playgrounds, Campaigns, Hands-On Science, Genetics, Genealogy, Paleontology, Seminars, and Puppetry

Affective Needs: We include discussions and information to help students understand their unique gifts and talents, learning styles, strengths, and weaknesses. Meeting and working with students of similar abilities and interests is an important part of our day. For a short portion of the day, students have "choice time", which is designed to allow them to interact informally, and to try a variety of activities available which may not be a part of their current contract.