The City of Salem Gifted Program is designed to identify and to meet the needs of those students whose aptitudes are so outstanding that they require specially designed instruction beyond that provided in the regular classroom to meet their educational needs. Placement in the City of Salem Gifted Program is intended, not to award membership to an exclusive group, but to focus attention on the special educational requirements of each identified gifted student.

Recognizing that there is no one determiner or giftedness, Salem uses multiple criteria which, when viewed together, can strongly indicate giftedness. Identification and program services are available in the following areas: General Intellectual Aptitude (K-12); Language Arts (6-12); Mathematics (6-12); Science (6-12); Theater (6-12); and Visual Arts (6-12).

Referrals for gifted program services are always welcomed from parents, administrators, teachers, and the students themselves. If you wish to refer a student for screening in the gifted program, call either Gifted Program Coordinator at (389-0130) to ask for a referral form.

 While referrals for the program are received on an on-going basis, the gifted coordinators use two ways to create, annually, a pool of applicants for the gifted program. To create a pool of those who have a potential need for services:
1.) each spring teachers complete an observation check sheet of gifted characteristics for all students; and 2.) each fall gifted coordinators screen the standardized test results for each student in the grades in which the tests are given. Additional students may be added to this pool when gifted coordinators review the records of transfer students, review lists of competition winners and award ceremony honorees, or screen other school events such as science fairs and class or grade performances. The pool for visual and performing arts is created by teacher check sheets from appropriate classes and by activity lists collected from schools and community.

 For 1.) those students in the pool, 2.) those students referred, and 3.) those transfer students identified in their previous schools, the Gifted Program Coordinators shall make individual decisions as to whether or not screening should continue into the identification process.

 If a decision is made to continue into the identification process, the following procedure is followed:
1) The gifted program coordinator sends to the parents of the student a letter that informs them that their child has been referred as a potential candidate for needing services of the gifted program, in what area(s) the screening will occur, and what data may be collected. Permission for assessment, which may include the administration of other tests, and a parent checksheet for behavioral characteristics of their child is secured from the parent before screening continues.
2) Upon receipt of parental permission, the gifted program coordinator compiles for the Identification Committee's consideration:
a) the referral form
b) the completed parent checksheet
c) the completed teacher checksheet(s)
d) a product or collection of products produced by the child
e) applicable grades
f) Sages scores (except for Visual and Performing Arts)
g) Otis Lennon Scores (for General Intellectual)
h) audition or portfolio evaluation results (for Visual and Performing Arts)
i) significant medical, cultural, or physical information that should be considered
j) any other pertinent reliable information
3) The Identification Committee reviews all the material and makes a decision about whether or not the child needs the services of the gifted program.
4) The gifted coordinator notifies the parents in writing of the committee's decision and offers to share the data considered by the committee. Written permission is secured for placement in the gifted program.

Salem agrees with E. Susanne Richart from the National Report on Identification when she states:

It is important to remember that the emphasis in identification procedures should be on student need and programmatic implications rather than categorizing or labeling. Teachers, parents, and students must understand that being placed in the gifted program is indicative of need rather than superiority or reward for conformity to teacher requirements. We must remember the purpose of identification in order not to burden students by unreasonable expectations and stress. Being identified does not assume excelling in all things at all times just as not being identified does not assume one will not be an A student.

The City of Salem’s Gifted Advisory Committee:
 
 The committee, composed of parents, teachers, and community leaders, and is an integral part of Salem’s program. One parent of a gifted child from each elementary school, the middle school, and the high school is selected to serve a two-year term. One teacher or principal designee from each school is also asked to participate. This person is one who has shown an interest in the education of gifted children. A community member is chosen from one of the many businesses and organizations in Salem who support our educational endeavors. The Advisory Committee helps develop, revise, and implement the local gifted education plan and set goals for the program. Please remember that the representatives from your school are your representatives. Feel free to contact them with your questions and concerns.

Parent and Teacher Workshops:

 There may also be workshops offered for parents on topics such as: Parenting the Gifted Child, Providing Opportunities for your Gifted Child, or Using the Internet in the College Search. Teachers in Salem are offered in-service programs on gifted education as well. These might deal with proper identification, differentiation, and curriculum compacting.

 The City of Salem Gifted Program continually tries to meet the individual needs of the gifted child. The division cares about communicating with parents and teachers, as well as, about making appropriate curriculum-based adjustments for identified gifted students. Salem is committed to providing a quality program of service for its gifted students. As parents, teachers, and program coordinators work together, we can succeed.

 Because gifted children often have academic needs beyond those met by the regular classroom instruction, in-class differentiation is a cornerstone of Salem’s program. Classroom teachers of gifted students are expected to differentiate their curricula in terms of content, pacing, process, and product when necessary and appropriate.

 The gifted education program of Salem City Schools recognizes the need of gifted students to develop skills in critical and creative thinking, problem-finding and solving, logic, and independent research. Gifted program coordinators are available as a resource to all teachers of gifted students. They work individually with teachers to accomplish compacting, acceleration, enrichment and/or extension of curricula in the classroom.

 At the elementary and middle school levels, teachers might pre-test to show where they can do curriculum compacting. Pre-testing strategies might also suggest areas in which alternate assignments can extend or enrich the concepts being taught. At grades 8-12, selection of courses with rigorous academic content in encouraged. If appropriate, students are encouraged to take courses at an accelerated pace. A complete description of these courses are available in the registration booklets from Andrew Lewis Middle School and Salem High School. Gifted program coordinators will be happy to discuss options with students and parents at any time.