Talented and Gifted

The Prince George’s County Public School system has developed a comprehensive instructional program for its intellectually gifted students beginning in the second grade and extending through high school. TAG services are offered in all schools.

Students who qualify for the TAG program may choose to participate in the program at their boundary school or to submit an application to attend one of the Talented and Gifted Center Schools. The TAG programs in both the boundary and TAG Centers Schools are designed to meet the unique and specialized needs of highly able students. 

Talented and Gifted (TAG) students, as presently defined by the U.S. Department of Education and the Maryland State Department of Education, are those students identified by professionally qualified persons who, by virtue of outstanding abilities, are capable of high performance. These are children who require differentiated educational programs and/or services different from those provided by the regular school program in order to realize their contribution to self and society. These include students of high performance who have shown potential for and/or demonstrated abilities in any of the following:

• General intellectual ability
• Specific academic aptitude
• Creative productive thinking
• Leadership ability
• Ability in visual or performing arts.

The major focus of the Talented and Gifted Program (TAG) in all Prince George’s County Public Schools is meeting the needs of students in the first category, general intellectual ability. Special consideration is given during the identification process to students with specific academic aptitudes, creative productive thinking abilities, and task commitment.

Prince George’s County Program for Talented and Gifted Students (TAG) is designed to meet the needs of the identified TAG student population in all schools by meeting the following objectives to provide:

• Regularly scheduled opportunities for students to meet with intellectual peers
• Appropriate research-based gifted education services
• A learning environment in which instructional strategies appropriate to the unique learning characteristics of the intellectually gifted are utilized
• Differentiated instruction and curriculum in order to increase student achievement and performance
• Acceleration and enrichment opportunities to TAG students in order to increase student achievement and performance
• For the social and emotional needs of TAG students
• Comprehensive professional development opportunities for teachers of TAG students

Students are identified for inclusion in the Talented and Gifted (TAG) Program following specific procedures. Several basic concepts are incorporated in the identification procedures including:

• Universal testing – all students are tested in grades 1 and 4
• Multiple criteria – selection for the TAG Program is based on assessment of a variety of objective and subjective factors which are aligned to and meet the National Association of Gifted Children Exemplary Standards
• Multiple opportunities – all students in grades one and four are tested as the initial phase of the screening process; new registrants may also be screened in grades 2, 3, and 5 through 7
• Committee recommendation – a group of school-based professional educators review and analyze all available data regarding placement recommendations and submit documentation to the TAG Office for review and final determination
• Rescreens – yearly TAG rescreens are initiated and monitored by the TAG Office

TAG services are offered in all schools. Students who qualify for the TAG program may choose to participate in the program at their attendance area school OR to submit a Specialty Program Lottery Application to attend the Talented and Gifted Center Program. The TAG programs in both the attendance area and TAG Center schools are designed to meet the unique and specialized needs of highly able students. 

Attendance Area Elementary Schools

The TAG Program provides intellectually gifted students with enriched, thematic, interdisciplinary educational experiences that support the principles of differentiation for students who qualify for the TAG Program. At the elementary level the TAG Program services are delivered through a TAG Pull-Out program or a TAG in the Regular Classroom (TRC) program as determined by the principal and based on the TAG population.

Pull-Out Program

In the Pull-Out program TAG students meet for two hours a week to work on activities outlined in the TAG curriculum guides under the supervision of a teacher trained in delivering the curriculum. At the primary level (grades 2 and 3) the thematic TAG curriculum alternates every other year. At the intermediate level (grades 4 and 5) the thematic TAG curriculum alternates on a two-year cycle.

These plans ensure that students will not repeat any of the content and that a sequence of skills is developed. The components of the Pull-Out program are as follows:

• Meeting together once a week for 2 hours for primary (grades 2 and 3) and intermediate (grades 4 and 5)
• Maintaining separate groups for primary (grades 2 and 3) and intermediate (grades 4 and 5) students
• Implementing primary and intermediate thematic, interdisciplinary curricular units that rotate on a 2 year cycle respectively
• Inclusion of higher level, creative, and critical thinking skills
• Emphasis on advanced research and study skills
• Providing guided independent study opportunities
• Junior Great Books Discussion Program
• Offering off-site educational, scientific, and artistic enrichment opportunities

TAG in the Regular Classroom (TRC) Program

The TRC Program offers appropriate advanced activities using strategies of differentiated instruction within the regular classroom. This model is appropriate for schools with larger TAG populations (50+). The components of the TRC program are as follows:

• TAG students are cluster grouped with at least 7 other TAG students
• Differentiated instructional strategies in the heterogeneous classroom
• Curriculum compacting
• Tiered assignments
• Flexible grouping
• Independent study
• Acceleration opportunities
• Learning/interest centers
• Enrichment clusters
• Guided Independent Study/advanced research opportunities
• Junior Great Books Discussion Program
• William & Mary Jacob’s Ladder Program
• Advanced Author Studies
• Instruction and activities reflecting Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles
• Twice Exceptional Gifted Services (selected sites, as needed)
• Off-site educational, scientific and artistic enrichment opportunities

Attendance Area Middle Schools

TAG identified students in middle school receive differentiated instruction in Honors Reading and Social Studies and TAG extensions in Science. Students are encouraged to participate in advanced math classes and the foreign language program. Teachers utilize strategies and adjust pacing to address the unique needs and learning styles of gifted/highly able students.  

Elementary & Middle School TAG Center Program With Lottery Placement

The TAG Center School Programs offer a full-day advanced, enriched, and intensive instructional program to meet the unique and specialized needs of highly able students. Specially selected and trained teachers provide the instruction. Students who meet PGCPS criteria for TAG identification may choose to apply through the lottery process on a space-available basis in accordance with lottery guidelines. Placement in the TAG Center Program by lottery is based on the student’s address.

TAG Center Program Features

• Dedicated TAG classrooms
• Selected, trained teachers and a school-based, full-time TAG Program Coordinator
• Enriched and accelerated instruction in mathematics
• Opportunities for students to progress individually
• Laboratory approach for science instruction, including STEM Fair
• Enriched and accelerated approach to language arts utilizing advanced reading materials and The College of William and Mary Language Arts Curriculum for Highly-Able Learners & Junior Great Books Shared Inquiry (elementary TAG Centers)
• Enriched approach to social studies including a multicultural emphasis and advanced research and study skills
• National History Day research (middle school)
• World language emphasis including International Culture and Language (ICAL) and Spanish
• Twice Exceptional Services, as needed
• High school class offerings in middle school: Algebra 1, Geometry and World Language Years 1 and 2
• Enrichment programs with educational, scientific and artistic instructions
• Automatic continuity from TAG Center elementary to TAG Center middle school
• Automatic continuity option to high school program International Baccalaureate Program (students must meet qualifications for continuity)
• Opportunities beyond the school day vary from school to school based on interest

Middle School TAG Centers and Coordinators