Every WCPS Middle School has merit courses designed for highly able and gifted learners. Merit courses are available for English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies.
WCPS merit courses follow the WCPS Essential Curriculum as do the grade-level courses. The pace of WCPS merit courses is typically faster and content is more in-depth in its exploration. In Merit Math, the student will also experience acceleration to the next grade level of a given topic. In all other merit courses, the readings tend to be above grade level, which demands that students are reading and performing above grade level. These courses allow students to get extensions to the curriculum to allow for Gifted and Talented differentiation.
Every rising Grade 6 student is reviewed by the Office of Advanced Programs and content specialists for placement in one or more merit courses based on performance and/or ability. Multiple criteria are used for placement in WCPS Merit Programs and no student is guaranteed placement in merit courses.
