All students identified as gifted and talented in Conway Schools have the right to an appropriate education. Responding to the concern for educational programming for gifted and talented students, the Arkansas General Assembly passed Act 106 of 1979. This legislation established the Office for the Gifted & Talented and Advanced Placement. Guidelines were developed to provide information to assist districts in planning, implementing, and evaluating those programs.

Conway Public Schools adheres to the state guidelines to operate Conway Schools Gifted & Talented and Advanced Placement Programs.

By definition, gifted and talented children and young people are those of high potential or ability whose learning characteristics and educational needs require qualitatively differentiated educational experiences and/or services. Possession of these talents and gifts, or the potential for their development, will be evidenced through an interaction of above average intellectual ability, task commitment and /or motivation, and creative ability. 

Conway Public Schools Advanced Placement program offers 23 AP courses and four concurrent courses each year. Last year, 61% of our students got a score of 3 or better on their AP exam, with more than 1400 exams taken in our district. A complete list of Advanced Placement classes offered at Conway High School can be found in our course catalog. 

Advanced Courses: Indicators of Student Success

• Maintained 85% or above in subject area during the current and previous academic years
• Scored “Exceeding” in subject area on ACT Aspire
• Performed in the top 25% quantile on ACT Aspire
• Self-Motivated, organized, and independent with assignments and homework
• Committed to the advanced program
• Extended academic support beyond the school setting​
   

Conway Public Schools encourages students to take Advanced and AP classes. When making a decision about how many of these classes to take, consider the following:

• Are you a self-motivated, organized, independent worker?
• Do you need and/or have support for your organizational skills and/or studies on a daily basis?
• Are you involved in many activities? Is your interest in this course of study sufficient to ensure that you will find adequate time to complete the extra work required outside of class without having to give up the things you enjoy?
• How well do you handle the rigors of a demanding academic workload? Are you realistic about your performance expectations for yourself?
• Have you considered all the academic disciplines for which there are Advanced courses, including art, languages other than English, computer science and music?

Want more information?
The National Association for Gifted Children includes this material on their site.