Gifted+Identification


 * **Littleton Public Schools - Peabody Elementary** **Student Nomination and Formal Identification Process**

The Gifted and Talented Program at Peabody will identify and provide an educational program for the intellectually and academically gifted and talented student in grades K-5. The Peabody staff are experts in differenting to meet student needs and focus on flexible, child-centered options including higher level learning activities and experiences.

"Gifted and talented children" means those persons between the ages of five and twenty-one whose abilities, talents and potential for accomplishment are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special provisions to meet their exceptional needs. …"Gifted and talented students are capable of high performance, exceptional production or exceptional learning behavior by virtue of any or combination of these areas: general or specific ability, specific academic aptitude, creative or productive thinking, leadership…abilities…"(Source: Colorado Exceptional Children’s Act)
 * Definition: **

**Step 1 - Student Nomination:** Students may be nominated throughout the year by classroom teachers, counselors, parents, special services, the student themselves, or their peers by providing pertinent classwork, classroom assessments, and anecdotal evidence.

** Step 2 - Body of Evidence: ** The GT Facilitator coordinates a formal, intensive review of the nomination evidence, student's academic achievement, and aptitude after MAP testing. The need for more formal assessment or evidence will be determined at this stage.


 * Littleton Public School Identification Standards must be met with a minimum of THREE positive indicators out of SIX to signal exceptional needs: **
 * ** Student Achievement ** - Indicator of student knowledge (a score in the 95%ile or higher on nationally normed tests such as CoGat is a necessary component. )
 * ** Student Performance ** - Indicator of a student's demonstrated mastery
 * ** Student Aptitude ** - Indicator of student’s demonstrated mastery


 * // Student Motivation to Learn // - Indicator of student’s commitment to pursue learning
 * // Student Interest- // Indicator of student’s focus areas and /or curiosity
 * // Observable Student Behaviors- Indicator of a student’s need for differentiation //
 * [[image:http://www.littletonpublicschools.net/Portals/0/Student%20Services/GT/hexagon.gif width="459" height="269" align="left"]]

* Please note that every school district/system/state has unique criteria for placement in gifted & talented. Students who were in another gifted program outside of LPS will automatically be reviewed for eligibility. Parents will be informed as to the results of this review. Also, the only exception to this is for those students applying for Early Access to Kindergarten or First Grade. That criteria is mandated by state statute.


 * Step Four - Accelerated Learning Plan (ALP)- **

Once a student receives formal identification, an Accelerated Learning Plan is developed outlining services to match exceptional needs. At Peabody, enhanced educational services are delivered through a collaborative effort of differentiated classroom instruction, flexible grouping, cluster grouping, pull-out grouping, acceleration by subject, and acceleration by grade skipping.

Please feel free to e-mail if you have questions about this process. tfalcone@lps.k12.co.us or Melinda Ness, the Littleton Public Schools District Gifted and Talented Coordinator at [|mness@lps.k12.co.us] ||