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Gifted Education

Supporting Our Learners with Exceptional Abilities
 
Prince George County Public Schools' mission centers around the district's desire to keep our students as 'True North' through every program to support learning. 
 
The division takes pride in offering programs for our students with exceptional intellectual abilities, helping them reach their full potential and ensuring they are supported both intellectually and emotionally. This is done through engaging programs and initiatives aimed at providing students with the resources they need to succeed from kindergarten through to receiving their diploma as Prince George High School Royals.
Gifted Programs
Overview
Prince George County Public Schools believes, in support of our mission statement, that a rigorous educational program must be available to each gifted student. This rigorous program must support the maximum development of each gifted student both as an individual and as a worthy, contributing member of a global society.
 
Prince George County Public Schools and the Prince George County School Board commits to the development, implementation, and refinement of gifted programs, procedures, and support systems. These systems will be significantly differentiated, rigorous, and individualized to enhance gifted students’ potential for excellence, provide emotional safety, and contribute to their continuous academic growth.
 
Special efforts will be made for early and continuous identification among all segments of the school population. High-quality, significantly differentiated programs will be provided on a continuum from kindergarten through grade 12.
Our Programs & Offerings
Prince George County Public Schools offers several programs to support our gifted learners. To learn more about each program, click the icon next to the program's name to view background information about the offering.

The Program of Advanced and Creative Experiences (PACE) targets students who have been identified as intellectually gifted across all core subject areas. Students identified for PACE display many characteristics of giftedness and consistently perform in the top five to six percent in the classroom and on assessments in the classroom and on standardized assessments. 

The Specific Academic Gifted Experiences (SAGE) program targets students who have been identified as gifted in one, two, or three core subject areas. Students identified for SAGE display many characteristics of giftedness and consistently perform in the top five to six percent in the classroom and on assessments in their identified subject area(s).

The Studies of Advanced Reasoning (SOAR) program targets students whose performance is less consistently within the top five to six percent, yet demonstrate evidence of the potential for giftedness. Such students are placed in the SOAR program for a defined period of time, usually one year, after which their need for gifted placement is reviewed.

The Program for Artistically Advanced Services (PAAS) serves students who demonstrate advanced abilities in the areas of instrumental music, theatre, visual arts, and/or vocal music.

 

The PAAS-Apprentice program is designed to meet the needs of students who demonstrate some advanced potential but whose indicators of artistic giftedness are inconsistent or inconclusive. Students identified for the PAAS-Apprentice program are enrolled for a defined period of time and are assessed for the PAAS/PAAS-Apprentice program again at the end of that period.

2024-25 School Year Identification Windows

PACE, SAGE, SOAR

  • Recruitment windows occur during the fall and spring semesters
  • Fall Screening: September 25-October 25
  • Spring Screening: February 18-March 14
  • Decision Letter Distribution: Prior to December break for fall screenings, Early May for spring screenings

PAAS

  • Recruitment window occurs in December
  • Adjudication Date: February 15, 2025 (February 22, 2025 - Snow Date)
  • Click HERE or the button below for Adjudication resources
  • Decision Letter Distribution: Early May 2025
Our Staff
Questions about our Gifted Programs? Contact Melanie Barron Ficke, PGCPS Coordinator of Gifted Education, at [email protected].