NORWOOD - School officials got some good news late last week in the form of a $35,000 grant to start a program for gifted and talented students.
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Peg Dougherty said the money will ultimately create a summer program in math and science for gifted students in grades 4 through 8. But first teachers will be sent to a six-month professional development course to learn how to develop appropriate curriculum.
The professional development course will run from January through June.
Meanwhile, Dougherty said the newly formed Academic Enrichment Committee will begin working on selection criteria for students to determine who will be eligible to take the summer course.
``We will be using teacher recommendations, as well as reading scores to identify students,'' Dougherty said Friday. ``In the future we hope to use diagnostic and standardized ELA and math assessments in addition to other tools.''
School Committee member Chris Morrison, who is also a member of the AEC, said the grant is what he hopes will be a first step in eventually implementing programs for gifted and talented students throughout the system.
Morrison has been advocating for new programs for more than a year.
He believes that state and federal laws have focused everybody's vision on getting kids to pass standardize tests and offering programs to help struggling students, but he said it's equally important to offer challenges to students at the other end of the spectrum.
``One of the best ways to keep kids interested is to keep them engaged by offering them new challenges,'' Morrison said Friday. ``This is an exciting first step for Norwood.''
The AEC was formed last year to begin mapping a blueprint to add programs for upper echelon students.
The goal of the committee is to launch a three-year program to phase in various enrichment opportunities, both during and after school at all grade levels.
Currently, there are some programs in place around the district. Many of the librarians have been trained in teaching gifted and talented students, for instance, but the committee wants to formalize a systemwide plan.
Reporter Brian Falla can be reached at 781-433-8339 or at bfalla@cnc.com
