ACADEMIC ADVANCEMENT AND ENRICHMENT
Dr. Reginald Johns
Director
Gracelynn Branch
Administrative Secretary
727-2160
Gifted Resource Teachers:
727-2160
Mary Beth Crawford
Timothy Hatok
Lisa Hibbitts
Gena Hobbs
Ginger Petsos
David Rhodes
Rebecca Whitehead
Welcome...
The Department of Academic Advancement and Enrichment coordinates services that meet the needs of gifted and high ability students in Hampton City Schools.
Local Plan for Gifted Education - 2020-2025
Questions? Email: gifted@hampton.k12.va.us or call us at 757-727-2160
We look forward to serving the educational needs of your children!
Forms: Referral form, parent consent/rating scales (K-2, 3-12, Art)
How are students IDENTIFIED for gifted services?
Students in grades K-12 are identified through the use of multiple criteria. The criteria may include, but not be limited to: parent and teacher rating of student characteristics; grades; and ability and achievement test scores. During the identification process, additional consideration is given to students who may also receive special education services, those who participate in the ESL program or students attending Title I schools (these circumstances often put students at a disadvantage when demonstrating their exceptional potential in a school setting).
How do gifted children EXPRESS themselves?
While each child has unique characteristics, in general, gifted children and youth demonstrate exceptional reasoning, oral and written communication skills, and excellent problem solving abilities. They often see ‘connections’ between seemingly unlike objects or concepts; they are curious about the ‘how and why’ of things; they appear to ‘know’ a large amount of information about topics beyond their years; they are generally voracious readers; they are highly creative; they may express a strong sense of empathy for others; and usually perform at an exceptional level in one or more subject areas (math, language arts or reading, social studies, science, art, or foreign language).
How can I have my child evaluated for gifted services?
Parents, teachers, school administrators, or students may refer a student to be evaluated for gifted services. Referral forms may be obtained through the school counselors at each school. There is no deadline for referrals. The eligibility process may take up to 90 days. Click here for more detailed information
What forms do I need to submit?
A referral form is needed for each student being referred. Parents or guardians also need to submit a parent consent form and rating scale. Teachers will submit a teacher rating scale. For students who are not currently enrolled in Hampton City Schools, we will also need copies of standardized test scores and copies of the most recent report cards. K-2 Parent Consent/Rating form, K-2 Teacher Rating Scale form
What does the eligibility process look like?
Click here to view a flow chart of the process.
How can my child attend Kilgore Gifted Center?
The eligibility process for Kilgore is the same process as for other gifted services. To start the evaluation process, you will need to submit a referral form and parent consent form to the gifted office or to your child’s school counselor. Call the gifted office at 727-2160 (not the Kilgore office) for more information.
What is the deadline for submitting referrals?
There is no deadline, but please remember that the eligibility process is quite lengthy, and can take up to 90 days. We strongly recommend that referrals be made by March for consideration for placement for the following year. Not only do we not have staff available for testing over the summer, but we do want to make sure we have enough gifted teachers where they are needed!
How do you use the NNAT CogAT tests?
We administer the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) to every first grade student in Hampton City Schools, and the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) to every second grade student in Hampton City Schools. We look at the scores for every student to determine if he or she should be referred for a full gifted evaluation.
How can I have my child evaluated for the gifted Visual Art program?
Obtain a referral and art rating scale for parents from the school counselor, and ask your child’s art teacher to have your child complete a portfolio (five specific drawings, done in school).
How can I get more information?
Please call the gifted office at 757-727-2160, or email gifted@hampton.k12.va.us.
What happens after all forms are completed?
Once referred, the student’s information will be forwarded to this department’s office at the School Administration Center (SAC). When the student’s information comes to SAC, a testing session may be scheduled (to provide additional information regarding the student’s ability). When testing is complete, an identification and placement committee meeting will be held. Parents will be notified of the decision reached by the committee.
What happens when transfer students enter HCS in the summer?
If possible, call our office (757/727-2160) prior to your arrival in Hampton, provide a mailing address, and a packet of information will be sent to you. Upon arrival in Hampton, IT IS IMPORTANT TO REGISTER/ENROLL YOUR CHILD IN THE ZONED SCHOOL TO WHICH HE/SHE IS ASSIGNED before coming to our office. Next, contact our office for an appointment with the department director. Bring copies of your child’s most recent report card, transcript indicating ability test scores, and if your child has been previously identified as gifted, bring formal evidence of the eligibility decision (which should include test scores and other data needed to make the decision in the previous school division). During the meeting, the director will discuss the process used in HCS to determine eligibility and the possible service options that may meet the student’s educational needs.
Parents of private school or home school students should call our office directly at 727-2160 for a referral package. When all of the required information is received, the student will be assigned to the next testing session, usually scheduled in the spring and summer. If the student is found eligible for gifted services, those services will be provided once the student is enrolled as a full time student in Hampton City schools. The eligibility and placement decision is valid for one year; if the identified student does not enroll in HCS within one year, the process must be completed again prior to enrollment.
General Information...
The Gifted Resource Program provides advanced educational opportunities with trained gifted resource staff on a weekly pullout basis. The curriculum for this program includes in-depth activities in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and a variety of multidisciplinary activities that focus on the development of critical thinking skills and problem solving strategies. For identified students in grades K-5, the Resource Program meets in each elementary school. In many cases, gifted students in the zoned schools are also clustered in the general education setting so that their classroom teachers are able to differentiate assignments to provide additional challenges. For Grades K-2, this is a Talent Pool program, and students will be re-evaluated at the end of second grade to determine placement for the upper elementary grades. In grades 6-8, middle school gifted students whose academic needs can best be met in their zoned schools are primarily served through cluster grouping and appropriately differentiated instruction.
The Ann H. Kilgore Gifted Center (grades 3-8) provides a full-time program for identified gifted students with highly advanced skills and aptitudes who have already demonstrated their capacity for complex processing abilities. These students require a fully differentiated educational environment, with an accelerated program of studies across all content areas. This comprehensive instructional program is designed around the cognitive characteristics and learning styles of gifted children, providing a multidisciplinary curriculum incorporating focused reflection, interaction, and discussion. In addition to mastery of basic content and skills (as measured by Virginia SOL assessments), students attending the full time center are expected to master advanced competencies across all content areas. Opportunities are provided for extensive research, inquiry based learning, literary and scientific analysis, and project based learning to focus on topics of strength and interest.
The Excel Art Program is designed to nurture and enrich the gifts of young artists in grades 3-8. This program focuses on advanced, concentrated instruction in the principles, theory, and practice of visual art. Students participating in Excel Art meet on a regular schedule at their home schools. Students are accepted into this program based on an adjudicated portfolio, superior potential in art skills and creativity, advanced achievement in art, and recommendations by art teachers.
High school options offer a variety of advanced and high level courses to gifted students, including Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), and dual enrollment classes. Additional specialized courses are taught at the magnet schools. Other options include the New Horizons Governor’s School for Science and Technology and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme. In addition to the college and career academies, HCS offers a differentiated option of cluster grouping for gifted high school students, the Gifted Enrichment Seminar, in grades nine and ten in the students' zoned high school. This model offers students access to in-depth learning of curriculum content with time for students to go into greater depth and breadth on a given topic. Teachers offer curriculum compacting and differentiated learning opportunities.
The New Horizons Governor’s School for Science and Technology offers a regional, specialized secondary program for gifted and high ability students in grades 11-12. Students attending New Horizons also attend their home high school for part of each school day. Courses at the Governor’s School emphasize computer applications and hands-on laboratory experiences set in an inquiry based learning environment. Students attending New Horizons also have opportunities to participate in research and mentoring with scientists and practicing professionals in area hospitals, clinics, NASA Langley, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and the Jefferson Lab. College credit may be earned for these weighted high school classes. Interested students should refer to the Web site at http://www.nhgs.tec.va.us/governorsschool/ for application and prerequisite information. A Pre-Admissions Information Series also provides additional information for prospective students entering ninth and tenth grade.
Summer Residential Governor’s School programs are offered by the Virginia Department of Education for exceptional students going into grades 11 or 12. The admission to these programs is highly competitive, but is a life-changing experience for the participants. The Governor’s School programs include:
Humanities
Visual and Performing Arts
Math, Science, and Technology
Agriculture
Life Sciences and Medicine
Marine Sciences Mentorships at VIMS
Engineering Mentorships at NASA
Foreign Language Academies in French, Spanish, German, Latin, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese
The Talent Pool program is an evaluative program to develop critical thinking skills in potentially gifted students; students are usually not formally identified as gifted until third grade. The curriculum for these programs includes in-depth activities in the core content areas of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, as well as a variety of multidisciplinary activities that focus on the development of critical thinking skills and problem solving strategies.
Gifted Information Modules for Parents
• My child is bored...
• Handy Parent Guide to College Admissions
• Virginia Gifted
• The Gifted Education Parent Handbook (pdf)
We value input and assistance from our parents. If you would like to serve on the Gifted Education Local Advisory Committee, please fill out the nomination form and reurn it to gifted@hampton.k12.va.us.
Program Centers:
Kilgore Gifted Center: http://kgc.hampton.k12.va.us
New Horizons Governor's School: https://nhrec.org/gsst/about/
Excel Art Forms
The following sites have additional information about
gifted education and programs for gifted students:
Virginia Department of Education, Gifted Education and Governor’s Schools:
https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/specialized-instruction/gifted-education
Virginia Gifted: http://www.vagifted.org
National Association for Gifted Children: http://www.nagc.org
The Center for Gifted Education, The College of William and Mary: https://education.wm.edu/centers/cfge/
Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth: http://www.cty.jhu.edu
SENG – Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted: http://www.sengifted.org
Hoagies' Gifted Education Homepage: http://www.hoagiesgifted.org
Council for Exceptional Children (includes gifted) www.cec.sped.org
Neag Center for Gifted Education https://gifted.uconn.edu/parent_resources/
National Art Education Association http://www.arteducators.org/
Odyssey of the Mind https://www.odysseyofthemind.com/
These sites are provided for informational purposes only and are not inclusive.
Hampton City Schools is not responsible for their content.
Governor's School Information Night for school year 2024-2025
Program of Study Course Descriptions 2023-2024
Recruitment Video with program overview and detail information for course, strand, and how to apply.
How to Apply student videos for GSST and PAS program
The Governor's School Virtual Open House
Here you can access the recorded live Virtual Open Houses for each strand.
Biological Science: Virtual Open House Recording
Computer Science: Virtual Open House Recording
Engineering: Virtual Open House Recording
The Governor’s School for Science and Technology provides a cohesive, innovative science and mathematics program for students in grades 11 and 12. Choices of strands include biological science, engineering, and scientific programming. The senior year experience includes an individualized honors research and mentorship experience with a professional in the field. Admission is highly competitive. Interested students should consider applying to the Pre-Admissions Series in the eighth or ninth grade. For an application and more information, visit the web site at http://www.nhgs.tec.va.us/governorsschool/.
Applications for 10th grade students are completed online, and are due by February 28. Late applications are not accepted.
Applications for the Pre-Admissions Series (PAS) for students in grades 8-9 are due to school counselors on February 28.
Here is a video on the Governor's School from the perspective of the director and a student.
Governor's School Summer Residential Academies 2025
Summer Governor’s School
The Virginia Department of Education sponsors the Summer Residential Governor's Schools. Applications are posted in October, with local deadlines the first week of November for VPA applications and the first week of December for the other programs.
These are FANTASTIC programs, conducted on college campuses, and completely free of charge to students. Students may apply for programs in:
Visual and Performing Arts http://www.radford.edu/content/gov-school/home.html
Humanities http://www.radford.edu/content/gov-school/home.htmlindex.html
Math, Science and Technology https://www.lynchburg.edu/academics/governors-school/
Agriculture (think cutting edge genetics, not cows and plows!) http://www.gsa.vt.edu/
Medicine and Health Sciences http://www.vcu.edu/lifesci/centers/cen_lse_governors.html
Information and applications are posted at:
https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/specialized-instruction/governor-s-schools/summer-residential-governor-s-schools
For basic hints on completing applications, click here.
If you have any questions, please call the DAAE office at 727-2160
Radford University has developed a video about the Summer Residential Governor's School programs in Humanities and Visual and Performing Arts. The video can be found on this page - https://www.radford.edu/content/gov-school/home.html
Math, Science, and Technology
Medicine
Agriculture
Visual Performing Arts/Humanities - VPA
Course is being offered this fall through partnership with Shenandoah University
GTD | 611 | HAM1 | Understand & Educ Gifted Learn | Instructor | Ann Colorado | https://colss-prod.ec.su.edu/Student/InstantEnrollment/Search?Keyword=GTD-611-HAM1 |
Registration Link: GTD-611 - Understanding and Educating the Gifted Learner
Required Text
Rimm, S. B., Siegle, D., & Davis, G. A. (2018) Education of the gifted and talented (7th
edition). New York, NY: Pearson.
Robinson, A., Shore, B. M., & Enersen, D. L. (2007). Best practices in gifted education:
An evidence-based guide. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Richotte, J., Lee, C., & Graefe, A. (2020). Start seeing & serving underserved gifted
students: 50 strategies for equity and excellence, Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit
Publishing
Optional Text
Colangelo N. & Davis, G. (2003). Handbook of gifted education (3rd edition). Boston,
The Local Advisory Committee (LAC) for gifted education is comprised of parents, teachers, administrators, and community members. The purpose of the LAC is to advise the School Board of the educational needs of all gifted students in the division. The LAC meets at least three times yearly. The public is invited to attend. For more information, please call the office at 727-2160 or email gifted@hampton.k12.va.us.
If you are interested in serving on this committee, or know of someone who would be interested, please complete the nomination form and return it to the DAAE office.
• Local Advisory Committee Report for Gifted Education for 2024
Minutes: