Dear Leonia School Community,
We are pleased to share an important update on the Leonia School District’s ongoing work to enhance our Gifted & Talented (G&T) Program. As part of our mission to provide all students with challenging and equitable learning experiences, the district recently completed a comprehensive review of our G&T services.
This initiative, conducted by an external consultant, evaluated the effectiveness of our current G&T practices across all three school buildings. The audit focused on alignment with the New Jersey Administrative Code 6A:8-3.1 and the Strengthening Gifted and Talented Education Act, with an emphasis on equitable access and areas for program improvement. The findings and recommendations were presented at the April 22, 2025, Board of Education meeting. You can view the full presentation
here.
The audit process included valuable input from board members, parents, staff, and administrators, as well as a review of student identification and participation data, instructional practices, and program communication.
The results confirmed Leonia’s strong commitment to supporting advanced learners and identified several opportunities for growth, including clarifying the distinction between gifted education and enrichment, improving equitable identification processes, expanding project-based learning experiences, and enhancing professional development for staff.
In alignment with our 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, the district will launch a focused implementation plan beginning in Summer 2025 to ensure our gifted services are rigorous, equitable, and responsive to student needs. This implementation includes training for administrators, professional development for staff, and establishing committees to help improve the identification process and the program offerings.
This document provides a timeline for our plan forward.
We remain dedicated to fostering a culture of excellence, equity, and opportunity for each of our students. Thank you for your continued partnership and support as we move forward with this important work.
Go Lions!
Xanthy Karamanos, Ed.D.
Acting Superintendent of Schools
Please see below for our current offerings for the 2024-2025 school year:
Our district offers enrichment services through a variety of programs. The regulations (N.J.S.A. 18A:35-34 through 18A:35-39) define gifted and talented students as: those students who possess or demonstrate high levels of ability, in one or more content areas, when compared to their chronological peers in the local district and who require modification of their educational program if they are to achieve in accordance with their capabilities. The Superintendent of Schools or designee shall ensure that the appropriate instructional adaptations are designed for students who are gifted and talented.
In grades K-4, students participate in a Global Citizens period. In this period, advanced students from all classes, including inclusion and self-contained classes, are provided with interdisciplinary problem-solving abilities. In addition for students in grades K-5, the Math and Language Arts curricula are differentiated based on teacher assessments. Instruction in all grade levels is always enriched for advanced learners based on their zone of proximal development. Students are grouped based on ability to engage in collaborative problem-solving. Students in grades 6-8 are identified and enrolled in portfolio classes in all content areas. Students in grades 9-12 are identified and enrolled in AP classes and our Academy programs.
Criteria for Eligibility:
All students are assessed through:
-TCRWP running records
-TCRWP writing continuums
-Math Envision assessment scores
-Standards-based assessments
-Music and Art assessments
-NJSLA assessment results
-STAR Renaissance Learning assessments
The educational program offered to gifted and talented students will encourage and challenge them in the specific areas of their abilities, but will not replace the basic instructional program of the various grades of this district. The program offered to gifted and talented students may include but are not limited to: pull-out programs; classroom differentiated instruction; acceleration; flexible pacing; compacted curricula; distance learning; advanced classes; or individual programs infused into the student’s regular instructional program, provided that a written description of the infusion has been prepared and filed in the student’s record. The district will provide the time and resources to develop, review, and enhance instructional tools with modifications for helping gifted and talented students acquire and demonstrate mastery of the required knowledge and skills specified by the standards at the instructional level of the student.
Programs for gifted and talented students will be periodically evaluated for their continuing efficacy and adjusted accordingly. The parent of any student identified as gifted or talented shall be consulted regarding any program designed to address the student’s particular needs.
An individual who believes that the district has not complied with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:35-34 et seq. may file a complaint with the Board of Education. The Board shall issue a decision, in writing, to affirm, reject, or modify the district’s action in the matter. The individual may then file a petition of appeal of the Board’s written decision to the Commissioner of Education through the Office of Controversies and Disputes in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:6-9 and the procedures set forth in State Board of Education regulations.
