Welcome
 "Gifted and Talented Education is a department that supports and encourages appropriate programming for bright students. Our goal is to collaborate with different content areas (e.g., mathematics, language arts) and departments such as ELL and Special Education to ensure all of our populations in gifted education are appropriately served. Our aim is to ensure our gifted students are challenged and performing at the advanced level in their area/s
of identification."
~ Gary Marx,
Gifted & Talented Coordinator
marxgc@d11.org
Contact: 719.520.2463
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D-11 Gifted and Talented programs serve approximately
3,000 students (10% of the school population) whose academic potential
is in the very high to superior range.
"If we were TV sets, some of us would only get five channels. Others are
wired for cable (the general population) and some of us (the gifted) are
hooked up to a satellite dish. That makes these gifted children capable
of making connections that others don't even know exist! Teaching those
types of voracious minds in a regular classroom without enhancement is
like feeding an elephant one blade of grass at time. You'll starve
them."
~ Elizabeth Meckstroth
"With regard to excellence, it is not enough to know, but we must try to
have and use it."
~ Aristotle
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News
Presentations and Workshops (Parents and
Teachers)
September 24- Nonverbal
Gifted Children, Gifted Development Center, Tesla (room 16), Tesla,
1:00-4:00 pm- for teachers
September 24- Nonverbal
Gifted Children, Gifted Development Center, Tesla (room 116), Tesla,
6:30-8:00 pm- for parents
New Electronic Newsletter -
The District 11 Gifted and Talented
office has a new electronic notification system. If you would like
to receive newsletters and important notices by email,
Click here to sign up.
See the Current Newsletter
See
Archived Newsletters
Advisory Council - This
Council is comprised of teachers, administrators, parents and interested
community members.
The council's purpose is to review the alignment of the
department’s services to the state and national standards, comply with
state statues and rules and regulations in gifted and talented education, and to build community
understanding about the unique needs of gifted and talented students. If
you are interested in serving on this Council, please contact our office
at 719-520-2464.
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What We Believe
Vision:
Maximize achievement for
all gifted students.
Mission: Our mission is to support gifted and
talented students by providing an appropriate learning environment that
stimulates students to reach their potential based on current best practices in
gifted education.
Philosophy
Statement: In School District 11 we believe that gifted and talented
students should receive appropriate differentiated instruction from trained
teachers that address individual needs. We believe that the district
gifted and talented program must have a broad base representation of students
from different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. These students will
have resources to maximize their potential as appropriate to their educational needs and talents. In addition, the social-emotional needs of
gifted students should be recognized and addressed.
State Definition:
"Gifted and talented children" means those students whose abilities,
talents, and potential for accomplishment are so exceptional or developmentally
advanced that they require special provisions to meet their educational
programming needs. "Gifted and talented children" include those with
disabilities (i.e., twice exceptional) and students with exceptional abilities
or potential performance, exceptional production, or exceptional learning
behavior by virtue of any or a combination of these areas of giftedness:
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General or
specific intellectual ability
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Specific academic
aptitude
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Creative or
productive thinking
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Leadership
abilities
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Visual and
performing arts
Student Goals:
Gifted students will:
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Develop higher
level thinking skills
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Develop creative
thinking and problem solving skills
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Develop research
skills as applied to "real world" problems
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Progress at rate
and pace appropriate to abilities and learning styles
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Develop effective
communication skills
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Create products
that are unique and synthesize major concepts
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Develop
self-esteem and self understanding
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Work with others
of similar ability
Program Options:
Listed in the Programs and Services section
Identification and
Eligibility: Listed in the Assessment section
D11
Policy on Gifted and Talented -
Board of Education Policy IHBB
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Standards-Based Instruction
Programs and Services
Twice Exceptional (View
the Video Introduction)- This program
recognizes and nurtures
outstanding potential so that gifted students with disabilities may become
all that they are capable of becoming.
Review Colorado's Twice Exceptional Definition and Mission.
Elementary School Programs and
Services
- Site
based model:
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Pull-out- enhancing specific talent areas
- Cluster grouping-
classroom teacher provides extensions
- Cross-grade grouping- student is
accelerated one grade level in a specific content area
- Acceleration- student is grade
skipped one or more grades in all content areas
- Competitions
- Mentorships; e.g., Side Kick
- Differentiation
- SAIL program:
- Self contained gifted program at
Fremont and Stratton, grades 4-5
- Focus: interdisciplinary
units; more in-depth approach, standards based curriculum
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Eagles Program:
- Self contained gifted classroom
(grades 3-5) housed at Whittier
- Twice-exceptional program,
interdisciplinary approach, project centered, standards based curriculum
Middle
School Programs and Services
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Site based model:
- Classroom elective- more in-depth approach,
acceleration, focus on areas of strength
- Honors classes- advanced math, language arts classes
- Competitions
- Differentiation
- Mentorships
- SAIL program:
- Self contained gifted program at Irving and West,
grades 6-8
- Interdisciplinary units, project based focus, more
in-depth approach, standards based curriculum
- Students switch teachers for different content areas
- Competitions
High School Programs and Services
- Site based model:
- Advocate for gifted students at each building:
counsels, provides social/emotional guidance
- Competitions
- Advanced courses: Advanced Placement,
International Baccalaureate, CU Gold Courses, honors classes
- Mentorships
- SAIL+ (Mitchell)
- SAIL program offered for 9th graders at Mitchell:
students switch teachers for different content areas; service learning
options and advanced courses in grades 10-12.
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Curriculum
District 11 offers a variety of Gifted Programs for elementary and
secondary students.
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S.A.I.L.
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(Student-Centered Academic Interdisciplinary Learning Lab) -
Curriculum and instruction in the SAIL program uses the State Standards
as a springboard toward advanced placement. Teachers deliver instruction
by differentiating the Content, Process, and Product to include:
abstractions, complexity, multiple perspectives, ethical real-world issues,
critical and creative thinking, multiple intelligences,
problem based learning, leadership/working styles, real products, real
audience, and rubrics in a conducive learning environment.
These focus on interdisciplinary units;
more in-depth approach, and standards based curriculum.
Some possible themes that may be covered include Change, Conflict,
Adaptation, Form & Function, Systems, Perspective, Patterns, and
Independency vs. Interdependency.
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Elementary School SAIL Application / Fremont
or Stratton Elementary School
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Middle School SAIL Application
/ Irving or West Middle School
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High School - SA I L+/Honors Endorsement Program
Application/Mitchell High School
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EAGLES (Exceptional
Academic Gifted Learning Experience Site) - A West Side Gifted Magnet
for grades 3,4, and 5.
EAGLES Application and
Brochure.
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Advanced Proficiency by Design -
a
quarter or semester class for GT middle school
students to meet every day with intellectual peers and develop academic
and social skills. Schools offering this class include Russell,
Sabin, and Holmes Middle Schools. Teachers use a curriculum that is
fast paced and complex for GT learners.
- Math and Literacy Clusters for GT
- Chipeta, Trailblazer, and Scott Elementary Schools have chosen a
service delivery model, which
clusters GT students for a portion of each day in area/s of strength
(math and/or language arts). GT students not only enjoy working with
intellectual peers but also focus on advanced proficiency level of
Colorado.
- Science Challenge - is an
exciting field science program for fourth through eighth grade
students. It is structured as a magnet with students from throughout the
district meeting at a central site one day a week for six weeks. From
that meeting place students travel to a variety of locations in the
Pikes Peak region to practice science in a field setting.
The Science Challenge serves two purposes
for gifted learners. First, it allows for intense, in depth study that
is not commonly found in the classroom. Secondly, it gives students a
chance to work with a recognized expert in the field. Since many gifted
students have the intellect and motivation to excel academically it is
wise to provide powerful role models during a period of their life when
the importance of academics may be put on the back burner. The program
has garnered national and international recognition. The Science
Challenge has been featured at the Colorado Association of Gifted
Education Conference, the National Science Teachers Association
Conference, and the International Conference on Geo-Science Education.
To help fund the program,
fees are collected from the students who participate. Fee reductions
are provided to help students who qualify for the free or reduced lunch
program. Students learn science and
have fun while exploring the front range of the Colorado
Plateau. Students with a passion for science should plan to join the
School District 11 Science Challenge Team to investigate the unique
geology found in the American West. Students travel by bus to various
locations each Thursday for a six-week session in a choice of 4 sessions
based on grade in school. For more information contact Mr. Jim Keating
at 328-3631.
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Bemis Art Program - An accelerated art program for elementary
students in grades 3-5. Each semester building art teachers select
students (using a checklist) who they believe are advanced in the visual
arts and would benefit from the program. Students take art
courses such as drawing, painting, printmaking and digital photography.
The elementary Bemis Art program addresses middle school art standards
encouraging students to extend themselves.
The
district Gifted and Talented department offers scholarships for students
who need assistance, and there is effort in creating a satellite course
for students residing in the southeast part of the city beginning fall
2008. For more information about the program, contact 520-2464.
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Assessment
CogAT: District #11 administers the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) as a screening instrument for all third graders district-wide. The CogAT has three subsections: verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal. The verbal subsection refers to flexibility, fluency, and adaptability in reasoning with verbal materials and in solving verbal problems. These reasoning abilities play an important role in reading comprehension, critical thinking, writing and virtually all verbal tasks. The quantitative section refers to reasoning skills; flexibility and fluency in working with quantitative symbols and concepts; and the ability to organize, structure, and give meaning to an unordered set of numerals and mathematical symbols. Nonverbal refers to reasoning, using geometric shapes and figures. To perform successfully, students must invent strategies for solving novel problems.
Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT): The NNAT is administered as another piece of evidence if the CogAT
nonverbal test results are borderline. The NNAT is a brief, culture-fair, nonverbal measure of school ability. Students must rely on reasoning and problem-solving skills, not on verbal skills. (NNAT is an extension and revision of the Matrix Analogies Test.)
Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (KIBT): The KBIT is also administered if another piece of evidence is warranted. The KBIT measures verbal and nonverbal abilities, using puzzles, riddles and word associations.
Test of Mathematical Abilities for Gifted
Students (Tomags): The Tomags is a standardized, norm-referenced
test designed to assess mathematical talent in children 6 through 12 years
old.
CSAP and Map test results are also used as supporting evidence. Parent and teacher checklists are quantified and used as another body of evidence.
Identifying Gifted Students: Students scoring 97% or higher on any subtest of the CogAT
and/or individual IQ test are automatically identified gifted and talented. A 95-96% score on any of the subtests, require one other piece of supporting evidence in the specific talent area addressed; e.g., a 95% on the verbal portion of the CogAT would require a qualifying score of advanced in reading on CSAP, Map
or KBIT verbal. Scores below 95% are reviewed if there is supporting evidence and the student is from an under-represented population- such as ELL.
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Parent Resources
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Teacher Resources
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