Young Scholars

Overview

A growing concern with the historic under-representation of students from culturally, ethnically, linguistically, and economically diverse backgrounds in gifted education services led Edina Public Schools to take a more comprehensive approach to this issue.
 
Young Scholars promotes the nurturing of continuous academic growth beginning in kindergarten. Early identification coupled with early intervention allow Young Scholars students to receive learning experiences that increase their self-advocacy and the likelihood that they will pursue advanced level courses in middle school and high school and continue on to post secondary education.

Identification

The district has established guidelines and a process for identifying students eligible for the Young Scholars program. These include identifying qualifying students and examining a variety of information sources to find evidence of need. Information is gathered from three areas: aptitude, achievement, and performance. This body of evidence is used to evaluate whether the child would benefit from participation in the Young Scholars Program.
 
Students showing the greatest potential and need are identified to work regularly with the building’s YS specialist.

Service

Once identified, Young Scholars receive personalized instruction designed to enhance and nurture their learning potential. Young Scholars specialists design curriculum and provide instruction that allow students to question, explore, and investigate content and ideas while engaging in learning activities connected to students’ diverse backgrounds.

Service placements are reviewed yearly to ensure that students are in the setting that best meets their needs. Change of service occurs when students do not meet placement guidelines.