Littleton Public Schools Regulation

Policy Code    IHBB-R Policy Name    Gifted and Talented Education                                  December 9, 1999

Definition

Littleton Public Schools will use the definition from the Rules for the Administration of the Exceptional Children’s Educational Act which says “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 educational needs . . .”

Identification for Programming Services

Littleton Public Schools will view giftedness as the manifestation of ability to learn well beyond the expected level of one’s age peers. Information from six areas will be collected to use as identification criteria—student aptitude, achievement, performance, observable student behaviors, interest, and motivation (or lack of) to learn. Classroom teachers, parents, gifted/talented facilitators, special services, counselors, self, or peers may nominate students. Three positive indicators out of the six areas will signal identification for gifted education services. The identification process will begin in kindergarten with the opportunity for identification continuing through Grade 12.

Gifted and Talented Programming Services

Programming services for identified gifted students will be available and accessible year to year and level to level. Each school in Littleton will be responsible for matching gifted programming services with identified student educational needs. Such programming options may include, but are not limited to:

· Academic placement such as cluster grouping, resource class center “pull-out,” acceleration by subject, and acceleration by grade skipping.

· Secondary advanced courses such as honors, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate, concurrent enrollment, or college classes.

· Classroom differentiation of curriculum and instruction such as curriculum compacting, independent study, tiered assignments, and contracts.

· Enrichment opportunities such as Junior Great Books, Denver Rocky Mountain News Spelling Bee, Chess Clubs, Mathematical Olympiad, and Destination Imagination.

Definitions

Acceleration will mean that an individual student is instructed at a more advanced curriculum content level, and/or at a faster pace with more complex, in-depth material than age peers.

Enrichment will mean that an individual student is given opportunities for extended learning activities that are not found in the core curriculum.

Accountability

Littleton Public Schools addresses accountability for student learning, both at an individual level and a District level. On the individual level, each school is responsible for the reviewing and monitoring of individual academic progress of students identified for gifted education services. Personalized Learning Plans will communicate testing results, gifted learner characteristics, and participation in programming services to parents, students, and classroom teachers.

On the District level, the gifted/talented coordinator is responsible for the analysis of aggregated performance data to guide improvement in gifted education program services.

Personnel

Littleton Public Schools will support professional staff development in gifted education. Classroom teachers, gifted/talented facilitators, and administrators need pertinent knowledge and skills in relation to identification, programming options, instructional practices, student assessment, and evaluation of programming effects because each has a unique role in serving identified exceptional academic needs.

Littleton Public Schools will provide a variety of professional staff development opportunities including, but not limited to, college and in-service courses, symposiums, conferences, workshops, independent study, action research, and coaching/mentoring in gifted education.