Carroll County public schools are exceeding state guidelines by providing teachers in its gifted and talented program with advanced certification in their field.
By next school year, all 15 of Carroll?s gifted and talented teachers will have completed a six-course certificate program by The Johns Hopkins University?s Department of Teacher Development and Leadership.
“[Gifted and talented students] learn best through different strategies and techniques,” said Karen Ganjon, director of minority achievement and intervention programs for the Carroll school system.
Maryland doesn?t require teachers in gifted and talented programs to be specially trained or certified, said Jeanne Paynter, a specialist for the state Department of Education?s gifted and talented education program.
Carl Herbert, associate professor in the teacher development and leadership department, said the program at the university focuses on connecting theory to practice.
Besides Johns Hopkins, the University of Virginia and the College of William and Mary offer similar certificates in the area.
Since the coursework was developed 10 years ago, Herbert estimates that 125 undergraduate and graduate students have completed it.
Gifted and talented program teacher Patti Cannaday said that aside from providing teachers with new tools and skills, the Johns Hopkins program affirms techniques teachers use in their programs.
Carroll?s gifted and talented program focuses mainly on elementary school students who are exposed to advanced subjects and asked to think critically and work cooperatively to complete various projects.
Last year, 777 students in grades three, four and five were identified for the gifted and talented program in Carroll, she said.
Ganjon said she wants to expand the program. Most of the program?s teachers split their time between two schools, but Ganjonis working with the superintendent to develop a plan to put them at all of Carroll?s elementary schools.
