In 1996 in cooperation with the College Board, The Center piloted the only summer institute in the Southeastern region to assist English teachers in the vertical articulation of the curriculum to help more students reach world-class standards. The English Vertical Team Institute provides an opportunity for middle school and high school English teachers to explore ways to bridge the gap between the two curricula.
Teachers attend a one-week institute focusing on three major goals.
As the communication takes place, teachers are able to plan appropriate sequencing of lesson designs in order to support previous learning and eliminate needless repetition of past instruction. In fact, this is the major strength of the institute. The institute provides the opportunity, the training, and the reinforcement necessary to achieve such measures. School districts should select a vertically aligned team of three or more middle school and high school teachers. The completed Team Application should be returned to The Center for Gifted Studies.