Charlottesville City Schools

CHS has compiled a list of enrichment and summer opportunities.

Identification

Annually in the spring, Charlottesville City Schools considers all students in grades 3 and beyond as part of the screening process for eligibility in gifted education services in the aptitude areas of English and math. Multiple criteria are considered through a holistic approach with a focus on talent development.

On April 1, students in grades 3–11 who are enrolled in the division by March 1 of that year, have taken a nationally normed assessment, and have not chosen to opt out, are automatically referred for gifted identification. For students who have been referred and not identified for three consecutive cycles, those students will then only be referred if there has been a marked change in achievement. This referral can be initiated by a staff member, family member, community member, or the students themselves.

Parents/guardians may choose to not have their child participate in the identification process by submitting a completed opt-out form to the school by April 15. The Gifted Identification Opt-Out Form is available here and at schools.
 

School-based identification committees are convened in late spring. Eligibility decisions are communicated to the candidate’s parents/guardians in writing with the report card at the end of the academic year.

Gifted Advisory Committee
Each year an advisory committee is established to advise in the development and implementation of Charlottesville’s services for gifted students. It is composed of two parent representatives from each school and a School Board member. Among its responsibilities are overseeing the implementation of the local plan, participating in the review and revision of the plan, and reporting to the School Board about the needs of gifted learners. Dates of all meetings are posted on the division calendar and a portion of each meeting is reserved to discuss ideas and concerns from parents or community members.

Please share your thoughts by contacting a committee member, a gifted resource teacher, or Dr. Anna Isley at isleyd1@charlottesvilleschools.org. 

More about the Gifted Advisory Committee

• Members of the Gifted Advisory Committee
• Meeting Dates for 2024-25: All meetings are 5:30-6:30 pm at the Division Annex: 
  • October 7
  • December 2
  • March 3
  • May 5
• Agendas

Parent/Community Involvement
Parent awareness and involvement in gifted education is encouraged through the following:

• Periodic communications distributed by gifted resource teachers
• Parent/Teacher conference days that are scheduled throughout the school year
• Open house activities that highlight gifted education services
• The Gifted Advisory Committee

• CCS Local Plan for the Gifted 2024-2029
• Virginia Department of Education
  • Regulations Governing Educational Services for Gifted Students
  • Virginia Governor’s School Programs
  • Virginia Advisory Committee for the Education of the Gifted (VACEG)
• Virginia Association for the Gifted 
• National Association for Gifted Children

Media Reporting and Staff Updates​​​​​

• “86% of Charlottesville students in grades 3-11 are identified as gifted,” Charlottesville Daily Progress, June 14, 2021  Note: As a reminder, the new model is designed so “all students participate in the high quality experiences [of gifted education] on a regular basis.”
• “Charlottesville looks to expand criteria for who is considered gifted,” Charlottesville Daily Progress, March 7, 2020
• “Timeline: Redesigning gifted education in Charlottesville City Schools ,” Charlottesville Daily Progress, March 7, 2020
• “City schools embark on a new quest,”  Charlottesville Daily Progress, September 7, 2019
• “New Pathways in  Gifted Education in Charlottesville,” Presentation to PTOs, August-September 2019
• “Possible changes to gifted education in Charlottesville schools unveiled,” Charlottesville Daily Progress, June 13, 2019