Full Gifted services at every school

PV Schools offers a full range of gifted education services to students residing both inside and outside the district boundaries:

Elementary schools
Kindergarten
There are two options for gifted kindergartners: placement in a gifted cluster class at any district elementary school; enrollment in the Self-contained program.

Schoolwide Cluster Grouping
Gifted students are grouped into designated gifted cluster classrooms at each grade level at every school and receive differentiated instruction in all content areas by gifted cluster teachers.

Honors classes for Grades 4 - 6
Content replacement and content enrichment in mathematics and / or language arts daily with a gifted specialist

Middle schools

Honors classes, grades 7 & 8
All four content areas: mathematics, English, science, and social studies

High schools

Honors and Advanced Placement
For grades 9 - 12, plus honors online coursework

Gifted Education philosophy
Gifted Program fliers (PDF)
Gifted Scope and Sequence
About the Director(PDF)

Special Programs

Preschool for Gifted 4-year olds

This unique, tuition-based program is open to gifted preschool students throughout the Valley. Two locations: Desert Cove and Fireside elementary schools

Self-contained Gifted and
Talented Kindergarten program

These self-contained kindergarten classes are designed for high-achieving, gifted and talented students whose needs may not be met in a regular classroom.

Located at Desert Cove and Fireside elementary schools

Self-contained Gifted program, 1-6

Serving highly and profoundly gifted students in grades 1 – 6. Now offered at four locations: Desert Cove Elementary, north of Shea Blvd., near State Route 51 and I-17; Sonoran Sky Elementary, Scottsdale and Thunderbird Rds.; North Ranch Elementary, near 64th Street, between Greenway and Bell Roads; and Fireside Elementary, in the Desert Ridge area.

Uniquely Gifted program, 1-6

Serving twice-exceptional gifted students
• Grades K-6, located at North Ranch
Elementary School
• Grade 7-8, located at Vista Verde
Middle School

The Digital Learning Experience

The Digital Learning Experience (DLE) is a supplemental school program for gifted and talented digital natives in grades 4 - 6 in the Phoenix area. Located at Sunrise Middle School, the DLE is open to students currently enrolled in area charter schools, private schools, other school districts, and PVUSD. We are now accepting applications for the fall semester. Students meet face-to-face after school, some Saturday and other mornings.
Read more
Download DLE flier (PDF)

Digital Learning Center,
Middle School

Middle School program: Located at Sunrise Middle School, the Middle School Digital Learning Center is now accepting applications for students who will be in 7th- or 8th-grade in the 2013-14 school year.

Nonverbal Honors Core

This program, located at Greenway Middle School, is tailored to meet the needs of gifted students from many diverse cultural backgrounds.

Honors Academy of
Pre-Engineering
Honors Academy of
World Languages

Serving middle school gifted students, the two Honors Academies at Desert Shadows Middle School provide honors core classes (English, math, science, social studies) with an emphasis in world languages and pre-engineering.

International Baccalaureate

IB Primary Years Program at Quail Run Elementary School (grades K - 6) Read more

IB Middle Years Program at Vista Verde Middle School (grades 7 - 8, continuing in grades 9-10 at North Canyon ) Read more

IB at North Canyon High School
(grades 11 and 12) Read more

Digital Academy for
Advanced Placement Scholars

Program offers traditional high school life with extra challenge of a gifted curriculum with digital focus. Students enjoy the full range of extracurricular high school activities while being challenged in a program for gifted students interested in information technology.

Questions about Gifted programs in PV Schools?
View video presentation by Director Dr. Dina Bruiles from the Nov. 2012 parent meeting discussing the full range of gifted services offered in the Paradise Valley Unified School DIstrict.

Aryan Mehta, a fifth grade student in the self-contained gifted program at Desert Cove Elementary, placed third in the Arizona State National Geographic Bee. To qualify for the state competition a student, in grades 4th through 8th, must win their school’s geography bee and take a qualifying written test. The top 100 students are selected to compete in the state competition. The first place winner will compete in Washington D.C. on May 22.

2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter review of PV Gifted Director Dr. Dina Brulles' presentation at the 2012 SENG Gifted Conference View PDF - see page 19

Article on the non-verbal Honors Core at Greenway published in in Mosaic magazine.
Read article - see page 3

Paradise Valley's after-school program aims to help gifted students (AZ Central)

Desert Cove and Echo Mountain Intermediate students compete in Rubiks' Cube competition. > Read more

Autumn Lotus Dharma Towne, a student in Karen Mensing's self-contained Gifted class at Sonoran Sky, placed among the top five in the national Mrs' P's Be-a-Famous-Writer contest.

Watch the Channel 5 Interview of Karen Mensing, Google Certified Teacher, self-contained gifted teacher, talking about using YouTube in the classroom.
Congratulations to Megan Bird, Gifted Specialist at Sonoran Sky Elementary School, who was recently named Educator of the Year by the Arizona PTA. The district is fortunate to have such a skilled professional representing the many dedicated and respected staff members at PV Schools.

Classroom visits and observations:

Please do not call schools regarding classroom visits and observations. Requests should be directed to the Gifted Education Services Department. Contact Gifted Services