Twenty-two of the thirty-nine middle schools to receive improving grades have extended the school days and gone to a longer school year. Miami Schools have started to increase and broaden its Gifted Students programs as well. This year the District will make improvements to how gifted students are identified and educated. The plan is to have the program to be at schools across Miami Schools. The District will begin to intensive students screening to better identify gifted students. This screening will begin earlier, in the first grade, and use a better screening tool that does not rely on language or verbal abilities. The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test will be given to all first and third graders and all newly enrolled students in Miami Schools starting this school year.

This is all part of the Miami School’s Revamping Education for Gifted and All Learners Plan. This Plan lays out the overall recommendations, timelines and budget for the successful creation and implementation of the improved gifted education program. The Plan focuses on three areas: gifted education, advanced academic programs, and talent potential among all learners. Some the ways in which Plan will try to enhance the gifted program include adding school psychologists and placement specialists to ensure timely evaluations and placements of potentially gifted students and by providing constant professional development for teachers, principals and staff, adding curriculum support specialists, and adding additional funds where needed. Another part of the Plan is to increase the level of parental involvement and support. A large feature of the Plan is to provide equal access to all students in Miami Schools. The Plan calls for the delivery of home-based gifted programs in all schools, so that even schools with small gifted populations will be able to provide adequate services.