Francis Howell’s Gifted
Education Differentiated Curriculum
Adapted from Growing Up Gifted by Barbara Clark

1. The Spectra curriculum is planned and sequentially organized to include specific expectations for the mastery of skills, creation of products, and development of attitudes and appreciation related to self, others, and the environment.

2. The Spectra curriculum places emphasis on the interdependence of subject matter, skills, products, and self-understanding within the same curricular structure.

3. The Spectra curriculum allows for the expression of some aspect of the individual’s interests, needs, abilities, and learning preferences. The Spectra curriculum is organized to allow for individualization and self-selection.

4. The Spectra curriculum provides opportunities to learn to reconceptualize existing knowledge in order to perceive things from various points of view, and to use information for new purposes or in new ways.

5. The Spectra curriculum provides learning experiences for students to address the unresolved issues and problems of society and apply personal and social data to analyze, classify, and respond to such issues and problems.

6. The Spectra curriculum incorporates learning experiences that foster development of the complex thought processes that encourage the creation of unique products and develop strategies for productive thought. The curriculum teaches both fundamental and higher level thinking skills as integral parts of every learning experience.

7. The Spectra curriculum provides opportunities for students to practice leadership and fellowship skills, and appropriate and varied forms of communication skills and strategies.