Gifted Education Programs provide qualitatively different programs designed to meet the needs of gifted students K-12. Gifted Education is defined by State Board Education rule 6A-6.03019 as one who has superior intellectual development and is capable of high performance. Eligibility under State Board Rule includes a documented need for the program, a majority of gifted characteristics, and an intelligence quotient in the superior range. Additional eligibility criteria are available for limited English proficient students and students from low socio-economic families. Curriculum components include: enrichment, acceleration , alignment with the Sunshine State Standards (SSS)/Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), Gifted Program Goals and Objectives, and Gifted Program Standards. The gifted education program is available in all schools in the District through resource, content, full time and consultation services. All M-DCPS elementary, middle, and senior high schools provide gifted program services.

Middle School Advanced Courses are accelerated from the regular school curriculum and provide critical thinking skills that prepare students for honors and advanced placement courses. Advanced courses are offered in the following subject areas: language arts, mathematics, social science, and science. All M-DCPS middle schools provide advanced courses and enrollment is open to all students.

Honors course are accelerated from the regular school curriculum and provide additional critical thinking skills.  Honors courses generate extra credit that can be used towards high school graduation. In middle schools, the only subjects in which courses are available at the honors level are foreign language, mathematics, and science. In high schools, all subject areas offer honors-level courses. All M-DCPS middle and senior high schools offer Honors courses and enrollment is open to all students.

Advanced Placement (AP) programs offer challenging, college-level course work for high school students. Although some students enroll in AP courses as early as grade 9, most students take AP courses in grades 10 through 12. Knowledge gained is assessed through the College Board AP Exam administered in May of each school year. Most colleges and universities will award students college credit for their AP course, if they have scored a three or above on the AP exam. AP courses are offered in the following subject areas: language arts, mathematics, social science, science, foreign language, and the arts. All M-DCPS senior high schools offer AP courses and enrollment is open to all students.

Dual Enrollment (DE) allows qualified students to enroll in college courses through local and state colleges and universities while still in high school.  Credit earned through DE can be used towards fulfillment of a high school graduation requirement and can also be used as college credit.  Students who qualify may enroll in a college course, and the tuition and textbook cost is waived. No transportation is available. Most students take courses after regular school hours, in addition to the courses they are enrolled in at their high school. In order to qualify for dual enrollment, students must be entering or be in grade 10, grade 11, or grade 12, must have a 3.0 unweighted grade point average (GPA), and meet all the college/university criteria for admission. All M-DCPS senior high schools offer DE opportunities.

Partnership in Academic Communities (PAC) program is a cooperative venture between M-DCPS and Florida International University (FIU) to increase achievement in Mathematics, Language Arts, and Science in order to ensure students’ admission to a university after high-school graduation. Participating schools: Cutler Ridge Middle School, Mays Middle School, Richmond Heights Middle School, and Miami Southridge Senior High School.

International Baccalaureate (IB) program is a liberal arts curriculum designed to promote understanding of global citizenship encouraging students to become critical and compassionate thinkers and informed participants in local and world affairs. Programs are comprised of advanced courses in grades 9 and 10, followed in grades 11 and 12 by two years of courses that lead to advanced standing in universities throughout the United States. Selected M-DCPS senior high schools offer an IB program.

Cambridge Academy provides challenging curricula in diverse subject areas for highly motivated and academically talented high school students. Selected M-DCPS senior high schools offer a Pre-AICE program for 9th and 10th grade and the Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Program for 11th and 12th grade.