RSU 29 has been a leader in Gifted and Talented education for many years.  The mission of our program is to educate students to their highest level of academic potential and expose them to skills and knowledge to become capable, creative, and responsible members of society.  Gifted children who have demonstrated potential far beyond that of their same-age peers need differentiated programs and services to reach this goal.  By virtue of their more advanced development and interests, they may need opportunities beyond those typically provided in the regular classroom.  It is recognized that high-ability children come from all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds and have diverse abilities and interests. 

Gifted and Talented Defined:

1. "Gifted and talented children" shall mean those children in grades K-12 who excel, or have the potential to excel, beyond their age peers, in the regular school program, to the extent that they need and can benefit from programs for the gifted and talented. Gifted and talented children shall receive specialized instruction through these programs if they have exceptional ability, aptitude, skill, or creativity in one or more of the following categories:

2.  General Intellectual Ability as shown by demonstrated significant achievement or potential for significant accomplishment above their age peers in all academic areas

3. Specific Academic Aptitude as shown by demonstrated significant achievement or potential for significant accomplishment above their age peers in one or more academic area(s)

4. Artistic Ability as shown by demonstrated significant achievement or potential for significant accomplishment above their age peers in the literary, performing, and/or visual arts (Maine Education Rules, Chap. 104)

The scope of the program currently extends from 4th grade to 12th grade. Students are initially screened during the spring of their grade 3 school year.  All levels of the program share the following overarching objectives:

• Provide for cognitive development in core curriculum areas at an appropriate pace and depth

• Develop self-understanding that encourages and fosters independent and self-directed learning

• Develop intellectual and scholarly skills and attitude

• Promote critical, creative, and divergent thinking skills

• Develop research skills and methods

• Foster intellectual inquiry at all levels

• Develop aesthetic knowledge, skills, and appreciation

• Facilitate opportunities for extracurricular learning including academic competitions and field trips to nearby events.