ALP
Curriculum Guidelines
The Cobb County School District supports a differentiated
curriculum for students receiving gifted service. This curriculum
provides for a K-12 continuum of cognitive development focused on
creative and critical thinking that allows for construction of learning
at an appropriate pace.
Elementary
School: Elementary students are served through a program
called Target, a pull-out resource program for gifted-identified
students. Students typically meet one day per week. Target standards
focus on both cognitive and affective growth. Gifted students have a
full instructional day in Target including classwork and homework.
Advanced content courses offer students the opportunity to
participate in curriculum in which the learning moves at a faster pace,
explores the content at a deeper level, and encourages more
independence. The ALP department works closely with the content area
specialist to ensure the advanced content curriculum is appropriate and
challenging for all highly-able and gifted learners.
Middle School:
Advanced content courses are available in English/language arts,
science, social studies, math (math 6/7, math 7/8, and accelerated math
1), foreign language (8th grade only).
High School: Advanced Content courses include
Honors, Advanced Placement, IB, gifted electives, and magnet courses.
Differentiation Expectations
Content - Complex and challenging subject matter that:
- Requires intellectual struggle
- Utilizes primary documents
- Integrates research skills and methods
- Incorporates relevant, real-life learning
- Integrates interdisciplinary connections
Process - Instructional strategies are designed to:
- Emphasize higher-order thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills
- Foster self-initiated and self-directed learning
- Promote creative application of ideas
- Model and encourage academic discussion
Product - Gifted student products should demonstrate a developmentally appropriate capacity for:
- Self-directed learning
- Meaningful collaboration
- Effective problem solving of challenging and complex issues
- Effective communication
- Social and emotional understanding of self-relative to community, culture, and physical environment
Environment – Altering the physical setting and work conditions to:
- Change the actual place where students work
- Alter the level of expectations
- Allow flexible time and/or
- Provide opportunities for independent study and in-depth
research
- Provide opportunities for mentorship
Assessment – Gifted learners need various methods and opportunities
to document mastery of curriculum such as:
- Pre/post tests
- Self assessment through rubrics
- Creation of goal-based checklists
- Conferencing, commentary and qualitative feedback