ANNOUNCEMENTS:
RESULTS OF HIGHLY GIFTED AND ADVANCED KINDERGARTEN TESTING WERE MAILED BEFORE WINTER BREAK. SCORES ARE NOT AVAILABLE BY PHONE.
ELIGIBLE STUDENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN A PLACEMENT IN THE HIGHLY GIFTED OR ADVANCED KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM(S) MUST COMPLETE THE SCHOOLCHOICE FORM INCLUDED IN THE RESULTS LETTER. FORMS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE AT THE SCHOOLCHOICE WEBSITE.
FOR PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED HGT STUDENTS WHO WISH TO ENROLL AT AN HGT MAGNET SITE:
Students formerly identified HGT and not currently enrolled at an HGT magnet school are to obtain the SchoolChoice form and return it the Office of Choice and Enrollment by Jan 31 at 5:00 p.m. Families do not have to notify the GT Department by Dec. 1 as stated in the HGT nomination form.
Nominations are posted in the right-hand column on this page.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Gifted and Talented Department provides services to students, parents, and schools in the form of overseeing the identification of gifted students in the district, providing staff development for faculties in teaching strategies for gifted students, training gifted representatives from the schools, coordinating the Highly Gifted and Advanced Kindergarten Programs, and advocating for the needs of gifted students in the district.
Denver Public Schools Definition of Gifted
In the Denver Public Schools, “gifted and talented children” means those students whose demonstrated abilities, talents and/or potential for accomplishment are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special provisions to meet their educational needs. These students perform, or show the potential of performing, at remarkably high levels in intellectual, specific academic or creative areas when compared with others of their age and experience. Gifted and talented children are present in all student groups, regardless of gender, disability, English language proficiency, economic status, ethnic or cultural background.
Programs and Services in Denver Public Schools
Denver Public Schools offers a wide range of services for special needs students, including the gifted and talented. A brief description of the variety of programs/services is provided below.
Elementary and Middle School Building Level Gifted Programs: Gifted identification occurs in each school K-8. Each identified gifted student receives an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP). DPS traditional and magnet schools with grades one through eight choose from three options for gifted programming:
- having at least a half-time GT specialist;
- accessing a centrally hired specialist one day a week or;
- designing a GT plan for approval.
Every building in the district is responsible for meeting the needs of its gifted and talented students. These students typically represent approximately the top 10% of students at the building. Services may include co-teaching with the classroom teacher, a pull-out program, clustering of students for instruction, curriculum compacting, services of a resource teacher to assist the classroom teacher, opportunities for enrichment, etc.
Denver Public Schools’ Highly Gifted Program: This is a magnet program for gifted students with the most extreme needs. Identification occurs by application (due October 3, 2011) and additional testing. The HGT Program provides an educational option for students in first through eighth grades whose extraordinary educational, emotional and social needs are best met in a setting that clusters these students. This program is available for all students who qualify based on demonstrated achievement, tested potential, teacher recommendations, identifiable characteristics and/or demonstrated need. These students make up approximately 2% of the student population. A nomination form describing the program and providing information about the nomination process is produced and distributed each fall to every K-7 student in the Denver Public Schools.