Maryland Honors Seven Schools for Gifted and Talented Education Programs

Schools Will Receive Awards During Gifted and Talented Education Month in February

BALTIMORE — Maryland will honor seven schools next month with the Excellence in Gifted and Talented Education (EGATE) School award, which recognizes top elementary, middle, and high school programs.

Now in its eighth year, the EGATE awards spotlight gifted and talented programs aligned with the Maryland Criteria for Excellence: Gifted and Talented Program Guidelines and state regulations for gifted and talented education. Each EGATE school submits a comprehensive application which provides documentation of 21 criteria of excellence under four rigorous program objectives: student identification, curriculum and instruction, professional development, and program management and evaluation.

The 2017 EGATE schools are:

Benfield Elementary School, Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Shipley’s Choice Elementary School, Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle School, Baltimore City Public Schools
Furman L. Templeton Preparatory Academy, Baltimore City Public Schools
Moravia Park Elementary School, Baltimore City Public Schools
Thomas Johnson Elementary/Middle School, Baltimore City Public Schools
Williamsport Elementary School, Washington County Public Schools

In the eight years since the award’s creation, 51 different schools from 10 school systems have earned the EGATE status. Members from the Maryland Advisory Council for Gifted and Talented Education, as well as local school system personnel review and score the EGATE applications, which document the school’s gifted and talented program activities over a 15-month period.

This year’s new EGATE schools will be recognized during Maryland’s Gifted and Talented Education month at a reception and awards ceremony on February 21 from 6–8 p.m. at North County High School in Glen Burnie.

EGATE schools receive a citation from the Governor, and the EGATE banner to display on their school buildings and websites. The schools will also be honored at a meeting of the Maryland State Board of Education and host celebratory visits from Advisory Council members and MSDE staff in the spring. These schools will serve as models for other schools that want to achieve this status.

More information on the EGATE School Awards Program is available at http://marylandpublicschools.org/programs/Pages/Gifted-Talented/index.aspx. Schools interested in applying for the 2018 EGATE program must submit applications to MSDE for review by December 1, 2018.