Franklin Lakes Public Schools’ Gifted & Talented Services Parent Corner is intended to provide useful information about:

• Our Continuum of Supplemental G&T Services (2023-24: implementing through grade 7);
• The processes used to identify students demonstrating gifted behaviors;
• Additional information and resources. 

Our 2023-24 Gifted & Talented Services Handbook is now available!

Parents/ Guardians with questions, comments, or complaints about G&T identification or services should contact:

• K-5 G&T Specialist, Ms. Stacia Mascharka: [email protected]
• 6-8 G&T Specialist, Ms. Darlene Marte: [email protected]

“Affective curriculum” is defined as curriculum that focuses on personal/social awareness and adjustment. Sometimes referred to as social-emotional curriculum. 

“Aptitude test” means a test predicting a student’s future performance in a particular domain. 

“Creativity” is the process of developing new, uncommon, or unique ideas. The federal definition of giftedness identifies creativity as a specific component of giftedness.

“Differentiation” means modifying curriculum and instruction according to content, pacing, and/or product to meet unique student needs in the classroom.

“Enrichment” is defined as activities that add or go beyond the existing curriculum. 

"Gifted and talented student" means a student who possesses or demonstrates a high level of ability in one or more content areas when compared to their chronological peers in the school district and who requires modifications of their educational program if they are to achieve in accordance with their capabilities. 

“Identification” is the process of determining student need for services.

"Instructional adaptation" means an adjustment or modification to instruction enabling a student who is gifted and talented to participate in, benefit from, and demonstrate knowledge and application of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in one or more content areas at the instructional level of the student, not just the student's grade level.

“Multiple measures” means the use of multiple indicators and sources of evidence of student assessment, of varying kinds, gathered at multiple points in time.

“Norm-referenced testing” is an assessment that compares an individual’s results with a large group of individuals who have taken the same assessment (who are referred to as the “norming group”). 

“Qualitative  data” means criterion-referenced data, which provides holistic information about an individual student.

“Quantitative  data” means norm-referenced data, which provides for comparison of students within the local district/cohort.

“Twice-Exceptional” (2e) is a term used to describe a student who is both gifted and disabled. These studens may also be referred to as having dual exceptionalities or as being gifted with learning disabilities (GT/LD). 

National

• • National Association for Gifted Children
  • NAGC: Twice-Exceptional Students
  • Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted
  • Hoagies’ Gifted Education

New Jersey

• • NJ Department of Education: Gifted & Talented
  • Strengthening Gifted and Talented Education Act. (2020). (N.J.S.A. 18A:35-34 through N.J.S.A. 18A:35-39)
  • C.18A:35-26.1  Guidance on identifying English language learners for gifted and talented programs
  • New Jersey Association for Gifted Children