Gifted Education Services

The Brandywine School District recognizes the rights of students from all cultural groups and across all economic strata to an education that provides for the maximum development of their potential. This includes students with the capability to perform at higher levels compared to their peers. This right also extends to students who are twice exceptional and may need support, intervention, and guidance to develop academically, socially, and emotionally. Identified students may require services that offer opportunities for acceleration and enrichment beyond the grade-level curriculum.

Brandywine School District defines gifted education as services that provide learning opportunities centered on the cognitive and affective needs of students who exhibit above average ability to reason and think academically, commit to tasks, and apply analytical creativity to solve problems. The instruction is differentiated and focused on the social and emotional needs of students who demonstrate gifted behaviors. The coursework incorporates compacting, problem-solving, and critical and creative thinking designed to provide opportunities to strengthen abilities to think and work like experts in the discipline.

In the Brandywine School District, gifted services are offered in specific schools for grades K-8. Students may be recommended for gifted education services at any grade level and typically continue to receive gifted education services from year to year, provided their needs are being met. Students identified for gifted education attend the school listed for their grade level; bus transportation is provided for students receiving gifted education services who live in the Brandywine feeder pattern. Brandywine School District staff work intentionally to ease transitions between schools for students and families.

Grades K-3 Mount Pleasant Elementary School

Grades 4-5 Claymont Elementary School

Grades 6-8 P.S. duPont Middle School

Bus transportation is provided throughout the Brandywine School District for students receiving gifted education services regardless of their home feeder pattern. Teachers and counselors help students and families ease transitions between schools. Students may be recommended for gifted education services at any grade level and typically continue to receive gifted education services from year to year, provided they are meeting with success.

Referrals for Gifted Education Services

Students Entering Kindergarten 2025-26:

All children registered for kindergarten in a Brandywine School District elementary school by September 30, 2025, will be assessed for gifted services. Families registering early will be contacted in March 2025 to schedule. Testing sessions will begin on April 8, 2025, and will continue throughout the summer.
Parents who are not registering their children at a BSD school may contact BSD in March 2025 to inquire about scheduling the kindergarten assessment. The student must be registered with their feeder pattern elementary school in order to be assessed.
Please note that students must be 5 years old by August 31, 2025, in order to register for kindergarten in BSD in the 2025-26 school year. Early admission may be available for students who turn 5 by September 30, 2025. Contact Brandi Monroe for more information.

Students Entering Grades 1-8

All students currently enrolled in 5th grade will complete an additional screening assessment in December. Based on assessment scores, some students will be referred for further review by the District; however, all students are also eligible to be referred for a panel review by a teacher or family member.
The referral period for all students entering grades 1-8 for the 2025-26 school year is open from December 1, 2024 through January 31, 2025. Referral information and forms can be found below. All completed referrals must be received by the end of the day on January 31, 2025, to be considered for further evaluation for the 2025-26 school year.

PLEASE NOTE: All referrals should be submitted directly to Gifted Services, and should not be returned to buildings. No referrals will be accepted from any source after the referral window closes.

Forms

For Questions and More Information Contact:

giftedservices@bsd.k12.de.us

Defining Giftedness in BSD
Unique Services in Delaware

Defining Giftedness in BSD

Defining “Giftedness” in BSD

National Association for Gifted Children Definition of Giftedness (2018)

“Students with gifts and talents perform—or have the capability to perform—at higher levels compared to others of the same age, experience, and environment in one or more domains. They require modification(s) to their educational experience(s) to learn and realize their potential. Students with gifts and talents:

Come from all racial, ethnic, and cultural populations, as well as all economic strata.
Require sufficient access to appropriate learning opportunities to realize their potential.
Can have learning and processing disorders that require specialized intervention and accommodation.
Need support and guidance to develop socially and emotionally as well as in their areas of talent.”

State of Delaware Definition of Giftedness (2020)

"Gifted or Talented Student" means a child enrolled in a Delaware public school who has been identified by a professionally qualified person or persons as meeting the following definition of gifted or talented:

A child capable of high performance with demonstrated achievement and/or potential ability in any of the following areas, singularly or in combination:

General intellectual ability;
Specific academic aptitude;
Creative or productive thinking;
Leadership ability;
Visual and performing arts ability; or
Psychomotor ability.”

Brandywine School District (BSD) Definition of Gifted Services

When we review students for traits of gifted learners, we use Dr. Joseph Renzulli’s model of giftedness, which requires the combination of three critical traits:

Services in BSD are needs-based, and there is no quota applied. While the majority of student needs can be met through differentiation of regular education classroom services, gifted services are designed for students whose needs are beyond what the typical classroom can provide.

Parents/guardians may remove their student from Gifted Education Services at any point during the school year and return to their feeder pattern school. Reasons for removal might include academic, social, or personal concerns; each situation is unique and will be reviewed individually.

Unique Services in Delaware

Unique Services in Delaware

Brandywine School District is the only district in the State of Delaware that offers self-contained gifted services. This means that gifted services students receive specialized services during all instruction in mathematics, reading, science and social studies. Providing services this way underscores the district’s commitment to ensuring that all students have the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Additionally, BSD is dedicated to ensuring that a student’s background does not limit access to gifted services. The identification process is designed to ensure that we provide equitable opportunities to students regardless of socioeconomic status, language, race, ethnicity, gender, and disability.

Locations:

K-3: Mount Pleasant Elementary School
4-5: Claymont Elementary School
6-8: P.S. duPont Middle School

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Gifted Education Services

Defining Giftedness in BSD

Unique Services in Delaware