Gifted Students in School: Part Two

Before diving into this article hopefully you have already read Gifted Students in School: Part One. This post will discuss some of the differences between Scottsdale Unified School District’s Gifted Department and Paradise Valley Schools Gifted Department in the elementary and middle years and focus specifically on the self contained gifted options. Gifted Students in School: Part Three will discuss the cluster model and content replacement options for students who qualify in one or two areas as well as those students who are high achievers but not identified as gifted.

All information is deemed accurate as of the time of this writing in Winter, 2025.

Program features	SUSD	PV Schools
Free testing for incoming kindergartners living in district	YES	YES
Gifted Pre-K qualification	Score of 90% or higher	Score of 90% or higher
Content Replacement	Offered 3rd-5th grade	Offered 4th-6th grade
Offers Self Contained Gifted Programming	Yes, starting in kindergarten through 8th grade	Yes, starting in kindergarten through 8th grade.
Kindergarten qualification for CGP	97% or higher in one of three content areas OR IQ of 130 or higher	97% or higher in one of three content areas OR IQ of 128 or higher
Elementary School Qualification for CGP	97% or higher in two or more content areas AND 90% or higher in third content area OR Combined score of 284 in all three content areas OR Full Scale IQ of 135+ on an intelligence test approved by district/state	97% or higher in two or more content areas AND 90% or higher in third content area OR Combined score of 284 in all three content areas OR Full Scale IQ of 140+ on an intelligence test approved by district/state
Number of schools offering gifted preschool programs	3	2
Number of schools offering self contained programs in elementary school	5	6
Number of schools offering self contained programs in middle school	2	2
Middle School Qualifications for CGP	97% or higher in two areas OR A combined score of the three areas of 284 or higher with at least one score in the 97%ile OR IQ of 135 or higher PLUS “Advanced Academic Achievement” on AASA or district assessments PLUS Teacher Recommendation	97% or higher in two areas OR 97% or higher in one area and 90% or higher in second and third content areas OR 97% or higher in one area, 90% or higher in a second area, and a principal recommendation OR IQ of 135 or higher PLUS Highly Proficient on the AASA test in reading and math for the previous school year PLUS Teacher Recommendation

As you can see from the chart, the two gifted programs look pretty similar on the surface. That was not always the case. Just a few years ago Scottsdale Schools had much less stringent requirements in order to qualify for the self contained program. Now, the differences are almost indistinguishable which is helping to bolster the strength of Scottsdale Unified’s program for the most profoundly gifted students. Likewise, Paradise Valley benefited from having Dr. Dina Brulles lead PV’s program for well over 15 years. During this same time frame Scottsdale had many leaders at the helm the gifted program. There was a time that I would unequivocally say that PV has the stronger of the two CGP programs. Now, Scottsdale is beginning to close this gap.

Once in the self contained program at the elementary level, students will be in a classroom of like-minded students with a highly qualified gifted teacher. They will have time to delve into programming typically reserved for older students, such as Socratic seminars, reading novel studies that are written above grade level, and exercises using Greek and Latin roots, Great Books, and Wordly Wise vocabulary building activities typically not done in the regular classroom.

Depending on the school you are interested in which offers self-contained gifted programs, there may be multi-age classrooms in elementary school. If this distinction is important to you it would be prudent to research this prior to enrolling and taking a tour to see what type of environment might work best for your child.

At the middle school level, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley both have two schools which offer programming. Students will take all of their core academic classes with other identified gifted students. These classes are generally smaller than the general education classes and will move at a faster pace and allow for more “deep dives” into the academic content.

Paradise Valley’s gifted middle school programs are more project based than Scottsdale Unified’s programs. Both of PV’s programs feature block programming, multiple subjects integrated together to explore thematic concepts. Scottsdale’s program, which may feature some integration between subjects at times, is not a core component of their gifted model.

Making sure your gifted child is receiving the most appropriate services to meet their needs is one of School Match’s specialities. Kortney Hohle, owner of School Match, has a gifted endorsement and was a gifted teacher for many years. She has had to navigate the school system for her own profoundly gifted student and knows the importance of finding a program that works for this type of learner. Please reach out to School Match if you would like some expert guidance on finding the best school for your highly gifted learner.