Corona is a Great Place to be Gifted! School counselors provide additional support to students who have been identified as having high potential for extraordinary academic success in verbal, quantitative, or abstract reasoning. Students scoring at the 97th percentile or above in any of these categories on the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), as administered by our district in the student's eighth grade year, are identified as gifted by the Tempe Union High School District. We also honor prior gifted placement based upon any state-approved measure as well as later performance on the PSAT or other approved tests, in accordance with state law. Gifted-identified students are assigned according to their last name in the alphabet to any one of the department's counselors, who will act both as school counselor and gifted services contact.
Service and Course Option Descriptions
Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) Early in the gifted student's Freshman Year at Corona del Sol High School, students will meet with a school counselor in their yearly ECAP Review to create a four-year Individualized Learning Plan, which is aligned with the state-mandated Education and Career Action Plan (ECAP). This ILP addresses post high school goals, focusing on both college and career interests, and helps provide appropriate direction for high school course selection and other growth opportunities. Updates occur annually or as needed throughout the student's tenure in high school. Once established by creating an account, taking a career interest survey, and developing a four-year-plan with the assistance of the counselor, students may access their individual online education plan by logging in to Naviance through their Gmail Account.
Rigorous Honors Courses In all academic departments and in several elective areas, the gifted student may choose rigorous honors classes suited to the needs and desires of the able learner.
AP Courses and Exams Corona del Sol offers a variety of Advanced Placement course options to enhance student skills and knowledge required for national AP exams. Generally, these options are available to students entering their junior and senior years. There is no additional charge for enrolling in an AP course, but in order to earn college credit or demonstrate proficiency, students must pay for and take the corresponding AP exam and earn a qualifying score. AP exams occur during the first two full weeks of May each year. Gifted Services organizes and runs these tests and encourages gifted students to take this opportunity to advance their college preparation, with the potential of earning advanced university placement, college credit, or both. Those students intending to apply to the most prestigious and selective colleges and universities should find that AP coursework provides excellent academic preparation and helps to generate a student record that is highly competitive on the national stage. To see how exam scores are accepted for college equivalency credit at specific universities, visit the AP Website.
Dual Enrollment Classes Dual enrollment courses are offered on the Corona del Sol campus in conjunction with Rio Salado and other local community colleges, allowing the student to earn both high school credit and community college credits upon completion of the class. With the cost set at the standard community college rate to be paid at the beginning of the semester, these classes are a cost-efficient way to earn early undergraduate credits. Unlike the AP program, however, there is no qualifying exam or additional fee at the end of the course. Public universities generally tend to accept these credits, while out-of-state and private colleges may or may not; therefore, it is advisable to explore the policies of the student’s universities of interest prior to enrollment and payment for any dual enrollment course. The enrollment and payment for community college credit is handled by the course teacher within the first few weeks of the term. See the Dual Enrollment page for more information.
Advanced Studies
The Advanced Studies course allows gifted students to earn high school credit in areas of interest for university courses beyond the scope of high school offerings or for creating and completing specialized independent study academic and/or creative projects. This weighted course for juniors and seniors is repeatable. It is listed in the Curriculum Catalog under Interdisciplinary Studies, with the course code IDS 200.
Honors Professional Internship The Honors Professional Internship course provides students high school credit for working with a professional mentor in a field of special interest and completing directed projects to enhance academic and personal development. This is a repeatable weighted elective course open only to gifted juniors and seniors. The course can be found in the Curriculum Catalog under Interdisciplinary Studies; the course code is IDS 300.
Gifted Advisory Committee Representation The Corona del Sol school counseling staff participate in Tempe Union High School District Gifted Advisory Council committee meetings to represent the needs of our gifted students and to assist with gifted identification testing, program development, and evaluation of the home school site and district gifted services.
