Gifted and Talented Continuum of Services

Elizabeth Public Schools promises to provide an innovative and personalized learning environment that ensures that every child achieves excellence. The district is fully committed to its responsibility in recognizing the specific needs of its students and fostering these students’ interests in order to ensure that they become life-long learners. In turn, district programs will ultimately provide a sophisticated and challenging environment, in which high-level cognitive and social-emotional processes are further nurtured and developed.

The ELA and Math curricula contain extension activities throughout the lessons to scaffold students higher order thinking. Research-based resources are embedded into the district curricula and supplemental resources are available to promote enrichment opportunities during small group instruction.  Thereby, allowing educators to differentiate instruction and meet the needs of our talented students while providing differentiated activities requiring high levels of complexity or acceleration.  

In Kindergarten and Grade 1, inquiry and research-based projects are available in the Into Reading and Savvas Realize programs that support the curriculum.  Students engage in developmentally appropriate activities to discover, generate and research ideas about the theme and focus of their modules/topics.    

These inquiry and research projects also allow students to:  

• Participate in shared research projects  
• Generate questions for inquiry and develop a research plan   
• Gather information and evidence from sources 

The program for students in grades two through eight is housed in Terence C. Reilly School No. 7 and William F. Halloran School No. 22. These schools offer an accelerated program for students with extraordinary talents in academics, visual arts, performing arts, and physical education who demonstrate a desire and commitment to excel. Our gifted and talented schools operate on a regular day schedule for which transportation is provided to eligible students from all neighborhood schools throughout the City of Elizabeth.  The academic requirements are rigorous. Students must maintain good academic standing, have strong moral character, and comply with all school and district policies in order to maintain their enrollment 

The schools offer a rigorous curriculum in all disciplines and instruction highlighting the four components of the Gifted and Talented program: academics, performing arts, visual arts, and physical education. Students in grade 4-8 attend departmentalized classes akin to a secondary education setting. All students are enrolled in an accelerated math program, ending with placement in a high school level geometry class in 8th grade.  

Both schools ensure that all students are college and career ready by implementing rigorous academic tasks and activities that promote high levels of critical thinking based on student strengths, problem solving, risk-taking and authentic learning opportunities for every student. The school takes great pride in providing Gifted and Talented pedagogies based on enrichment opportunities in the visual and performing arts and math acceleration programs for all students. Opportunities for interdisciplinary learning, enrichment, and reinforcement in all disciplines as part of the gifted and talented curriculum aligned with the NJ Gifted and Talented Standards.  

Every classroom is equipped with state-of-the-art technological equipment which includes One-to-One learning, SMARTboards, SMART tables, and a MakerSpace Learning Studio where innovative learning is centered around authentic learning opportunities for all students. Students are encouraged to build on their strengths through enrichment opportunities. 

Both schools have students enrolled in the National Junior Honor Society, which requires them to volunteer at least 20 hours for food/clothing drives and other philanthropic work. Our visual arts, band, orchestra, choral, and theater programs are highly successful and participate in annual visual & performing arts competitions. 

Elizabeth High School Frank J. Cicarell Academy is the Gifted and Talented choice high school with an application process. Students need a minimum of a B average and passing standardized test scores to be considered for admission. The school day is the same each day beginning at 7:45 a.m. ending at 3:20 p.m. with all 9-11th grade students taking eight 47-minute classes.  

Students attending Elizabeth High School Frank J. Cicarell Academy comply with a rigorous college preparatory course sequence which includes: four years of English, four years of mathematics, four years of science, four years of social studies (including economics), and three years of world language. All students will enroll in honors and Advanced Placement (AP)courses and are required to take the AP exams. The average Cicarell Academy student takes seven AP courses by graduation. 

Elizabeth High School Frank J. Cicarell Academy is an AP Capstone school. Students will have the opportunity to receive a high school diploma endorsed by the College Board enhancing their college application credentials. Students are required to take a full course schedule and will have a school issued laptop for their daily instruction.  

Students enrolled at Elizabeth High School Frank J. Cicarell Academy are expected to have outstanding academic records. Students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average and comply with all rules, regulations, and policies of the school and the district. Students are always required to conduct themselves in an honorable and ethical manner.