The Young Scholars (YS) program is designed to find and nurture advanced academic potential in students from historically underrepresented populations in gifted education.

School Board Student Showcase: Young Scholars

The model has four essential components:

Committed Professionals	Leadership of school principals Collaboration among teachers and specialists Advocates for Young Scholars
Find/Identify	Observations/Conversations Performance Assessments Portfolios of Learning Nonverbal Ability Tests Standard Achievement Tests
Nurture, Guide, and Support	Cluster Youngs Scholars Culturally responsive teaching Challenging and engaging curricular experiences Pair with Teachers who have high expectations Flexible grouping and ongoing assessments
Essential Elements	Intersession, Summer school and/or afterschool programs Ongoing professional development for teachers Differentiated curriculum and instruction for advanced learners Parent/guardian involvement and support

Beginning in kindergarten at Title I schools, curricular interventions and support are provided through the collaboration of the classroom teacher and the Resource Teacher for the Gifted. As students’ progress through elementary and secondary school, continuing support and opportunities for accessing gifted services and rigorous coursework are provided by school staff. RTGs in Title I Schools have been provided with training through the Young Scholars course and cultural proficiency instruction. Both Provide tools to support teachers and students at their local schools. The RTG is an integral part of professional learning communities.