Welcome to the Gifted and Talented Program and Advanced Placement section of the website. Here you will find information about our services for students gifted and talented students. You will also find information about the Advanced Placement (AP) courses at Gurdon High School.

All students identified as gifted and talented in the state have the right to an appropriate education. Responding to the concern for educational programming for gifted and talented students, the Arkansas General Assembly passed Act 106 of 1979. This legislation established the Office for the Gifted & Talented and Advanced Placement. Funds were appropriated to provide financial assistance to school districts operating programs for gifted and talented students. Guidelines were developed to provide information to assist districts in planning, implementing, and evaluating those programs.

• Ongoing nominations from teachers, parents, specialists, and students

• GT Coordinator gathers multiple criteria from enrichment and observations, test scores, grades, teacher and parent observations, student work samples, etc…

• A committee of at least 5 professionals, including principals, counselors, and teachers, and chaired by the GT Coordinator make placement decisions.

• Placement decisions are made at the end of the academic year for the following year.

• K-2 Meet 30 minutes Weekly (teaching and observations) – This year teacher is meeting in each classroom.  Individual workbooks are used for each lesson.  Monthly units include creativity, logical thinking, STEM, divergent thinking, and critical thinking.  These student books will be used for long-term identification.

• 3/4th   Meet 150 minutes/week – patterns and cause and effect,, inventors/inventions, economics/money, chess, piracy, Greek mythology, biographies, self-selected units, critical thinking, logical thinking, creativity, chess and Quiz Bowl, even though we are not having competitions this year.

• 5th Meet 150 minutes/week – Continue patterns and cause/effect from 4th grade, but incorporate concepts of systems, mythology/legends, monsters/myths,  Middle Ages,  geography/culture of countries, critical and creative thinking, 

• 6th  Meet 150 minutes/week – Continue patterns, cause and effect, systems, and change, Middle Ages, Ancient Egypt, 7 Wonders of the World, genealogy, debate, logical thinking, critical thinking, creativity, self-selected units

• 7th/8th  Meet 150 minutes/week – philanthropy, self-awareness, Duke TIP (ACT)  autobiographies of self/biographies of eminent people, self-discovery/disclosure, and creating school news. (Teacher is using Byrdseed TV to help with lesson planning, curriculum, and virtual curriculum.

• High School  Meet 30 minutes/month – logical thinking, creativity, critical thinking, analysis of short stories, college scholarship information, Governor’s School, social and emotional support (affective needs)

• 3-6 Identified students must be served a minimum of 150 minutes/week by a GT certified teacher 

• Secondary students may be served by a certified teacher who has received training for Advanced Placement or Secondary Content (teachers must provide certificate and quarterly documentation)

• Students may enroll in AP/Pre-AP and concurrent credit courses for services

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes are offered in each school district in the state in the four core areas of English, math, science, and social studies to provide advanced educational courses that are easily accessible and will prepare students for admission to and success in a postsecondary educational environment.

At Gurdon High School, we offer the following AP courses:

• AP Biology

• AP Calculus AB

• AP Chemistry

• AP Government

• AP Lang & Comp

• AP US History

• AP World History