Leveraging School and University Partnerships to Provide Accelerated English Language Arts Instruction to Gifted and High Potential Middle School Learners

Project OCCAMS is an accelerated English language arts curriculum and delivery model for high ability middle school learners. This program was initially developed in a research-practitioner partnership with two universities and a state department of education. Over 6 years, it was implemented in Columbus City Schools, Ohio’s largest urban school district, through careful collaboration with the district’s gifted department and other district teams responsible for day-to-day school operations. This article explores strategies for establishing and sustaining partnerships among organizations, both externally and internally, to develop innovative programs to benefit gifted students, such as those developed during Project OCCAMS.