The district will revamp the Gifted and Talented program (G/T or LEAP) across its high school campuses starting next year. The courses will be available for grades 9-12 and will include English, math, science and social studies.

After a self-audit, the district received feedback from the community that favored a restructuring of the G/T program at the high school level. These new courses will be made available to any student previously recognized as G/T, but they will not carry any more weight than a Pre-AP or AP class.

“I think it’s a big advantage just to give our kids options,” English teacher Kathryn Gaughan said. “I think the Pre-AP cluster was working for a lot of the G/T kids, but I don’t think in any education situation that there is going to be one thing that works for all kids. I think it’s helpful to have all the G/T kids in one room. If you had LEAP in middle school and liked the environment, then you have that option again.”

World history teacher Leah Bouas said G/T classes will allow students to express themselves and better the campus.

“I think G/T classes allow students to reach their fullest potential in an environment where they’re challenged and forced to try new things,” Bouas said. “It’s OK if something doesn’t pan out, it’s OK if you fail. People aren’t necessarily going to judge you if you fail. There is that environment of like-minded peers that allows them to succeed.

Gaughan, sponsor of the LEAP club at the ninth grade center, and Bouas, sponsor of the Great Thinkers club at the main campus, both said that G/T classes create a better learning atmosphere for students.

“Think about whether or not you want to have a class with that same group of people and if you liked the environment,” Gaughan said. “Think about what you’re good at. Go to where your strengths are. Being a LEAP student, I liked the comfort and familiarity of those classes. Some people see that as a drawback, but as a student I appreciated it.”

Sophomore Emma Hauck, who is a member of Bouas’ Great Thinkers club, believes a comfortable environment with challenging material is essential in a G/T class.

“My 7th and 8th grade LEAP teacher helped me become a better presenter because he was tough on me,” Hauck said. “I was shy and awkward but he forced me to get better at it, so I did. I became more comfortable with sharing my opinions in discussion, which is what I hope the environment is like in the new G/T classes.”

Teachers teaching Pre-AP or AP classes are required to attend a 30-hour training session, which covers the material necessary to teach a G/T class as well.

“From what I know, the teachers we have chosen for G/T were previously LEAP teachers,” Gaughan said. “Many of them have taught the classes and have the background of doing it. They have a bank of knowledge from what they’ve done before, so the transition should be fairly easy. I think it will just depend on how many sections we end up having.”

Bouas said the success of the G/T clubs, specifically in the area of college readiness, had a small effect on the district’s decision.

“We’re trying to provide opportunities for students outside of the club to experience the college process,” Bouas said. “I definitely think that those are sessions we can repeat next year and have more of a broad audience for them … I’m not entirely sure that there is a correlation, but I believe the success of the club had a little something to do with it.”

Hauck enjoys the presence of a G/T club on campus, and said the club holds key principles that G/T classes should follow.

“It’s nice because I get to hang out with like-minded individuals,” Hauck said. “It helps bring back the LEAP atmosphere. We get to do fun things like go to museums, but I want to see that fun atmosphere translated back into the classroom.”

The main concern of students surrounding the G/T classes is the question of increased workload.

“I don’t know exactly what to tell them since this will be the first year of it and since we’re adding math and science along with English,” Gaughan said. “Our hope for the program is that math will have more real-world applications and then apply those skills. In English, we want to do more in-class discussions. We’re hoping there won’t be that many projects, because the problem with GT programs in the past is that they’re too project-based.”