What is CODE? The Center Of Differentiated Education (CODE Program) serves the gifted students in Hickman Mills C-1 School District. The CODE Program provides enrichment opportunities for students in grades K-12 in the academic component and grades 1-5 in the fine arts component.

Our program is based on research by Dr. Joseph S. Renzulli and his associates at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Renzulli's work has provided the philosophical cornerstone for numerous gifted and talented programs across our nation. Our Hickman Mills C-1 School District CODE program has been designed to include those concepts advocated by Dr. Renzulli and to meet specific standards put forth by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The Mission of the Center Of Differentiated Education is to provide educational enrichment opportunities for identified gifted students that will foster the development of each student's unique potential.

In order to accomplish the Mission of the Center Of Differentiated Education, we are committed to:

• Fostering the student's desire to become an independent, self-directed, life-long learner.

• Providing an environment for gifted students to challenge each other by interacting with students of similar abilities and talents.

• Offering challenging learning experiences that are not included in the regular school curriculum.

• Developing the student's creative and critical thinking skills.

• Guiding the student's personal growth, social development, communication skills, and leadership ability.

• Involving schools, families, businesses, and community partners in preparing students for life-long learning.
  
  What kind of abilities do CODE students have? Students are selected on the basis of mental ability, creativity and achievement. The assessment of these abilities involves a series of measures that require several months to complete.
  
  Is this an "Approved" program for Gifted Students? Yes - this program was designed to conform to the guidelines set by the State Department of Education and Policies of the Board of Education. Some reimbursement is received from the state for salaries and materials.
  
  What does a student do at CODE? A day at CODE includes a wide variety of activities designed to meet the needs of gifted students: TYPE I - General exploratory activities such as speakers, field trips, learning centers, etc. TYPE II - Training sessions, group or individual, for developing competency in specialized areas such as research, computer use, critical thinking, creative writing, art techniques, photography, music composition, learning styles, genealogy, and many others designed to meet a particular student's need or interest. TYPE III - Investigations of a real problem in which an eventual product is presented to a specific audience. These investigations are the culmination of the CODE experience. The student uses the same techniques as a professional in the same endeavor. Products are based on student interests and are generally individual or perhaps small group ventures.
  
  What is PEP? PEP (Primary Enrichment Program) is for high ability students in grades K-3. The program meets specific standards put forth by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
  
  What kind of abilities do PEP students have? Students are selected on the basis of standardized achievement scores, parent/teacher documentation, and I.Q. The assessment of these abilities involves a series of measures that require several months to complete.
  
  What does a student do at PEP? The PEP curriculum focuses on content-process enrichment. The students participate in teacher-directed learning activities based on high interest topics not normally covered in the regular classroom. These activities emphasize the development of higher-level thinking, creativity, problem solving, and discovery learning.
  
  What is ACE? ACE (Artistic and Creative Exploration) is a fine arts component for students in grades 1-5 who demonstrate exceptional ability in one or more areas of the arts (visual arts, vocal music, drama, creative writing.) The program meets specific standards as set forth by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
  
  What kind of abilities do ACE students have? Students must demonstrate and document outstanding creativity and artistic ability in one or more of the following areas: visual arts, vocal music, drama, and creative writing. Students are selected on the basis of parent/teacher documentation, standardized creativity testing, and portfolio documentation.
  
  What does a student do at ACE? The ACE curriculum provides artistically gifted students the opportunity to work on activities that focus on personal expression and experimentation in the arts. These activities emphasize the development of creativity, problem-solving, individual artistic facilities, as well as expand appreciation and understanding of the arts.
  
  Where are CODE, PEP, & ACE located? The CODE, PEP & ACE classrooms are located at Baptiste Educational Center, 5401 E. 103rd St. Each day, one group of students is transported from the home school and spends the entire day at CODE, PEP or ACE.
  
  Are students responsible for the class work missed during the day spent at CODE, PEP & ACE? The students are responsible for the content of subject matter presented. However, they should be excused from standard classroom assignments and activities missed on the day they are participating in the CODE/PEP/ACE programs. In certain instances, it may be imperative that the students be exposed to the missed daily concept being developed by the classroom instructor. In such cases, teacher discretion should be used.
  
  How is a child admitted to CODE, PEP or ACE? At specified times each year, the selection process begins for each program by formulating a pool of potential students who will then proceed through a step-by-step admission procedure. Students who successfully meet all of the admission standards will be eligible for entry into CODE, PEP or ACE.
  
  Who can nominate a child for CODE, PEP or ACE? Nominations from the screening pool are solicited from parents, staff and students. Parent/teacher nominations are sincerely desired, as are nominations from students themselves.
  
  Anyone can nominate a student in the district to be in our program.
  
  Can a child be in more than one program? Each program is entirely separate in terms of its selection process and curriculum. Third grade PEP students do not automatically move from PEP into the CODE program, as the entrance requirements are different. However, they will automatically be nominated by the PEP staff to be a part of the CODE testing process.