Academic programs for gifted and talented/learning disabled students

Determined to address the needs of gifted and talented/learning disabled (GT/LD) students, educators in Maryland's Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) have spent 15 years creating a dynamic, comprehensive program for their GT/LD student population. MCPS identifies students with varying degrees of learning disabilities and has developed special self‐contained classes for gifted students with severe learning disabilities while those with moderate and mild disabilities receive gifted instruction and services in their general education classrooms. The comprehensive nature of the MCPS program makes it one of the most unique in the country. Successful, practical programming based on research and theory guarantees GT/LD students access to accelerated and enriched instruction that maintains the rigor and high standards expected of all gifted students. Regardless of the setting, GT/LD students in grades 2 through 12 receive appropriate instruction, adaptations, and accommodations related to their disability. Drawing from the literature and from their own experiences, educators in MCPS combine the most successful components into a strength‐based, integrated, and collaborative program.