Central Bucks updates Penn Independent Study for gifted high schoolers; enrollment jumps to 218

Central Bucks School District education committee members heard an update Feb. 6 on the district’s Penn Independent Study, a pass/fail, asynchronous elective that supplements high-achieving students’ coursework with year‑long, self‑directed projects.

The presentation emphasized that the program was designed to meet Chapter 16 (Gifted Education Law) requirements while offering work that “goes well beyond the AP and the honors class,” presenters said. Pam Pensabine, the district’s high‑school gifted support program coordinator and a Penn High School teacher, explained the course model and brought two fellow teachers, Michelle Rhodes and Christine Dallerton, and three student participants to speak about their projects.

Nut graf: District leaders said the program expands individualized opportunities for gifted learners by combining weekly advisory check‑ins with flexible, student‑chosen projects and executive‑function supports. The presenters framed the course as intentionally GPA‑neutral to encourage intellectual risk taking.

Teachers described the course as distinct from prior nine‑week gifted electives that suffered from low enrollment. Pensabine said the independent study was created to ensure compliance with Chapter 16 and to offer work that addresses cognitive needs not met by traditional advanced coursework. She told the committee the program focuses on skills such as time management, email etiquette and executive functioning via a mix of mandatory and optional weekly advisory meetings.

Students who spoke described how the course supported diverse interests. Molly Barish, a junior at CB South, said the program lets students pursue non‑career interests; she described last year’s interviews of cruise ship performers and this year’s work animating a 2‑D short film. Cole Reed, a senior at CB West, said the program helped him found and run a district pop‑music ensemble and “elevate my work from a leadership standpoint and an organizational standpoint.” Ranjit Rajapaksar, a senior at CB East, said Penn supported his renewable‑energy research and his outreach to middle‑ and high‑school students interested in science fair competitions.

Pensabine told the committee that program enrollment has grown rapidly: the handout reflected about 75 students previously, but she said, “we've moved from 75 kids to now we have 218 kids signed up next year,” adding that roughly 14 students had been added since the handout was prepared. She said the district will use feedback from participating students and summer planning to adjust staffing and supports for the larger cohort.

Presenters said teachers and administrators in the county have invited the district to submit proposals describing the model, including a regional gifted day and a combined National Association for Gifted Children/Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education session in November. Pensabine also invited committee members to a student project showcase at CB South on April 10.

Ending: Committee members thanked the presenters and students; no formal action was taken at the Feb. 6 meeting. The presentation was listed as an information item and will inform further planning for staffing and curriculum alignment for the program.