Gifted Education

Chesapeake Public Schools defines gifted students as those students whose abilities and potential are so outstanding that special services and programs are required to meet their needs. Chesapeake Public Schools uses multiple criteria to identify gifted learners including teacher and parent checklists, portfolios, and ability and achievement measures to determine students’ need for gifted services in the area of General Intellectual Aptitude in grades K-12 and Visual and Performing Arts in grades 9-12.

Quick Links

Contact

Department of Exceptional Learning
Edwards-Wilson Center
2107 Liberty Street
Chesapeake, VA 23324

757-494-7600

Send an Email

Elementary and Middle School Programs

Gifted Cluster Grouping

Gifted programming occurs in your child’s home school by your child’s classroom teacher. Teachers who serve as Gifted Cluster Teachers receive Professional Development from our Gifted Specialist Team. The specialists also provide teachers and students with resources, modeling, and coaching. The students' instruction is based on the Core Standards of Learning for the grade or subject. The Concept-Based Curricula overlay those standards by implementing strategies to foster interdisciplinary connections, creative and critical thinking, and collaboration opportunities.

For more detailed information about our elementary and middle school gifted program, please explore the following topics-

Gifted Education Nominations & Referrals

Students enrolled in Chesapeake Public Schools can be nominated for gifted identification by a teacher, parent, self-referral, or any other person using the Nomination Referral Form. Parents must provide permission for students to be considered for identification. 

High School Programs

High school students identified as gifted as well as other high performing high school students have the opportunity to enroll in a variety of advanced courses; these include Advanced Placement Courses, Honors Classes, and Dual-enrollment credit courses. Dual-enrollment courses allow students to earn both high school credit and community college credit simultaneously.

Specialty Programs

High school students can also pursue their unique interests through participation in specialty programs offered within the district such as the Chesapeake Career Center, International Baccalaureate, Governor’s STEM Academy, or the Science and Medicine Academy.

Rising ninth through twelfth-grade students may apply for acceptance to the Governor’s School for the Arts. Classes are offered in dance, music, theater, and visual arts. Students are selected based on a competitive audition/application process. Students are transported to Norfolk each afternoon for instruction in their chosen area of interest.