The elementary gifted program consists of two educational environments: (1) identified students receive enriched instruction several hours each week with the gifted specialist, and (2) students placed in the PACE program receive differentiated instruction in their general education classroom.

The gifted specialist fulfills two instructional roles: developing units of study that correlate to and extend the organizing ideas of the general education curriculum and developing and implementing opportunities for study beyond the general education curriculum. The latter includes: frequent divergent instruction; extension of prior learning; advanced critical thinking skills; problem-solving; creative interpretation and expression; advanced oral, written and visual presentation skills; and self-directed study. PACE units of study are an integral part of the challenge gifted and talented students receive and are neither"more nor extra" work.

PACE classroom teachers are responsible for adapting and differentiating the general education curriculum which may include: acceleration to move students through materials at a faster rate, rewriting activities to emphasize depth and complexity of content, honoring individual student interest when appropriate, and/or adjusting the students’ schedules.