Basil Abuisba says the gifted education programs in Rockwood School District have changed his life.

Basil, a sixth-grader at Rockwood South Middle School, has been in gifted education since first grade — first for a day a week at the district's Center for Creative Learning for elementary students and now in academic stretch programs for middle school students.

"If I had not had gifted education, I would have been bored because my classwork was too easy," said Basil, 11, a Fenton resident.

Through gifted education, for instance, Basil learned binary code in second grade.

"That's why Rockwood should continue the CCL," he told the Board of Education at its meeting on Dec. 1.

The district is looking at the future of its gifted education program.

A consultant, Carolyn Callahan from the University of Virginia, recently performed an independent evaluation of those programs and services.

She reported on some preliminary options for improvement. However, a district design team is now reviewing those options.

The district plans to get parent, student and staff feedback at meetings in January and February.

The Board of Education would vote on accepting a final plan as early as March.

About 16 percent of Rockwood's total enrollment of 22,201 students is taking part in gifted programs. That comes to about 1,400 at the elementary level, 966 in middle school, and 1,290 in high school.

District officials said the evaluation isn't meant to raise questions about the need for gifted education in Rockwood, but to understand the quality and effectiveness of current programs and determine what the nature, size and structure of that program should be in the future.

Cherry Ohms, a Chesterfield mother of two elementary-aged daughters, told the board that "part of the reasons gifted students are often bored in their home schools is because they are not being challenged enough in their critical thinking and problem-solving skills."

She advocated keeping smaller class sizes in the Center for Creative Learning.

Danielle Pedersen of Ballwin agreed.

"I have a son in gifted education, and you shouldn't consider increasing class sizes at CCL because students need individual attention," she said. "Like many CCL parents, I'm worried about the future and fear this evaluation could be twisted to meet an agenda."

She challenged the district to incorporate even more district students into gifted programs in their home schools.

Sara Bollinger, a 2003 graduate of Eureka High School, told the board she'd gone through gifted programs.

"During my cherished days at CCL, my teachers inspired us to change the world, and I learned being gifted was a great thing," she said. "The biggest limitation was that I went to CCL for only one day a week."

Board president Steve Smith told those at the board meeting gifted programs aren't in jeopardy.

"The evaluation validated our programs, and they need to continue," he said.

Recommendations in Callahan's 525-page report include:

• Students need to be identified who don't fit the traditional high IQ/high achievement definition of being gifted, but who would benefit from more services.

• The district needs to ratchet up curriculum standards and instruction in general education classrooms. • The district needs better and more frequent communication with staff and parents about the gifted programs.

• More collaboration is needed between gifted teachers and other teachers.

• The district should develop a program for four days a week instead of one day.

• "Enrichment cluster" should be developed to provide special projects to gifted students in their home schools.

• The district should identify students needing specific gifted services rather than identifying students as gifted.

• More professional development on gifted programming should be offered to teachers and administrators.