High School Horizons Program

The Gifted Education Program at the high school level varies from that of the lower grades. Students are no longer served in a pull-out program or class, but rather receive services using a Resource Room model. Each High School in the district has at least one designated Gifted Resource Teacher.

In this delivery system, students meet with a Gifted Resource Teacher (GRT), who is certified in Gifted Education. This GRT provides services that are designed to meet the academic and affective needs of identified gifted students in a highly individualized manner. All students who have previously been identified as being gifted in the Wentzville R-IV School District are invited to participate in available activities and to seek the support of the Gifted Resource Teacher during the hour-long lunch time and/or their 9th hour on Thursdays. These two time allotments have different names based on which high school the student attends. (i.e., Den time at NPHS, Nest Time at LHS, Tribe Time at HHS, and/or Pack Time at THS)

Ideally, 9th graders will be assigned to the Gifted Resource Teacher in their freshman year to promote awareness. The GRT will have additional hours when students can "drop in", or students may also email to set up an appointment or to request information to be sent to them. The following are approved activities according to the program model description provided by DESE:

Direct instruction of individuals or small groups of identified gifted students
Services targeting the social/emotional needs of identified gifted students
Establishing job shadowing and mentoring opportunities, selection/planning/scheduling of college entrance exam(s)
Researching/planning/scheduling educational options such as dual credit courses, distance learning, correspondence courses, and schedule planning
Assisting with post-secondary school research/selection, ACT/SAT prep, admissions procedures, and completing scholarship applications
Monitoring identified students' progress in any of the above activities
Working with regular classroom teachers and making recommendations to the regular classroom curriculum to meet the needs of identified gifted students

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a gifted class at the high school level?

There are no classes offered exclusively for gifted students. Each high school offers many College Credit, Advanced Placement, and honors-level courses. High school students have very full schedules, and few are able to enroll in non-required courses. Having a Gifted Resource Teacher available during the lunch hour and 9th hour class allows students to still meet with their Horizons peers, get the support they need, while taking advantage of all the other offerings our high schools provide.

Why do we need a high school gifted resource component?

Gifted students have unique academic, social, and emotional needs. This group benefits from receiving support from specialists with training and experience with this respective group of students, just as special education students benefit from having a case manager. The need for services for gifted students is written into Missouri State law and is addressed in guidelines established by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Those guidelines specifically address the need for gifted services in K-12.

Who are the Gifted Resource Teachers?

Our Gifted Resource Teachers are teachers who teach regular content classes, but have an additional certification in teaching and understand Gifted Students. While these teachers have a specific content area they teach, they have additional knowledge about gifted students that they can share with other teachers and administrators. They talk one-on-one with teachers about particular students and their needs, meet with gifted students to offer guidance, distribute gifted program newsletters, and offer to support differentiation and acceleration efforts within their classrooms.

What does the Gifted Resource Teacher do that the school counselors do not?

The gifted resource teachers work with school counselors and other school personnel to meet the unique needs of gifted students. The GRT works on a proactive basis to help students deal with some common issues that gifted students are known to experience at more intense levels than most other students. Those issues include perfectionism, anxiety, underachievement, and organizational/time management concerns. In addition, the GRT provides direction for students and parents seeking opportunities and resources outside the school day and year. Overall, the GRTs act as case managers, working collaboratively with students, parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators in addressing student needs.

Why shouldn't all high school students have access to the same level of individual advising?

All students have quality advisement available through the guidance departments. However, gifted students are a group of learners who have been identified as having special needs. These needs are recognized and addressed in age-appropriate ways as students progress through the Wentzville Horizons Program. At the high school level, an advisory approach was adopted to meet the needs of the largest number of gifted students possible with the limited resources that are available.

Is it possible by child does not know who the gifted resource teacher is?

In an effort to make sure all gifted students have connected with their high school's gifted resource teacher, 9th graders are assigned to their class for Student Success Time. Due to varying numbers across the district, students may be assigned to a different teacher for 10th-12th grade; however, they are always welcome to schedule time and/or drop in to the GRT's room during lunch or Student Success time.

The GRTs at each building have very large caseloads. They work very hard to get to know each student and determine how they can support his or her development throughout high school. They reach out to gifted students in multiple ways every year, including, but not limited to, visiting middle schools before students arrive at high school, sending monthly newsletters, seeking information via email communication, and most importantly, asking students to come to their classroom for advisement. In addition, students are encouraged to email or visit their classrooms for assistance and support. Students choose how much and how often they take advantage of available resources. The more students access services, the better they get to know the gifted resource teacher at their school.

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