Gifted and Talented Services in District 196

Welcome!!  Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan, District 196,  provides gifted and talented students with an array of opportunities to meet a variety of needs.  Please refer to the links at the end of the GT homepage to access additional information and services.

District Mission

"Educating Students to Reach Their Full Potential"

Definition of Gifted and Talented Children and Youth

Gifted and talented children and youth…..

• Are those students with outstanding abilities, identified at preschool, elementary and secondary levels.  These students are capable of high performance when compared to others of similar age, experience, and environment and represent the diverse populations of our communities.

• Have potential which requires differentiated and challenging educational programs and/or services beyond those provided in the general school program.

• Are capable of high performance and include, but are not limited to, those with demonstrated achievement or potential ability in any one or more of creativity, leadership, and visual and performing arts.

Beliefs for Gifted and Talented Students

Gifted and talented students……

• Have significantly different educational and/or affective needs from their chronological peers and should be provided an environment that supports those needs.

• Require educational differentiation as a regular part of their school day.

• Have needs that should be met through shared responsibility within the educational community

• Need to be identified using multiple criteria

• Are found within all ages and genders, cultures, socioeconomic, racial and ethnic groups

• Require teachers who receive ongoing training gifted education

Goals for Gifted and Talented Students

Goals for gifted and talented are…….

• Curriculum and instruction: Gifted education services encompass curricular and instructional opportunities directed to the unique needs of the gifted student including differentiated curriculum and opportunities for subject and grade acceleration.

• Program Administration and Management: Gifted education programming involves the establishment of a systematic means of developing, implementing, and managing services.

• Program Design: The development of appropriate gifted education programming requires comprehensive services based on sound philosophical, theoretical and empirical support.  This includes a continuum of services for gifted learners and appropriately funded gifted education programming that is an integral part of the school day.

• Program Evaluation:  An ongoing program evaluation which is the systematic study of the value and impact of services will be implemented.

• Guidance and Counseling:  Through gifted education programming students will be offered differentiated guidance efforts.  These efforts may include strategies to address at risk behaviors, affective needs, underachievement and career programming.

• Professional Development:  Gifted learners will be served by professionals with expertise in differentiated content and instructional methods.  A staff development program is provided for teachers of gifted students.

• Student Identification: Gifted learners are assessed to determine appropriate educational services.  A coordinated comprehensive and cohesive process determines eligibility for gifted education services.  Instruments used for student assessments measure diverse abilities, talents, strengths, and needs.

For specific information about each goal see policy 610 under Board Policy.

Additional Information Available

• Gifted and Talented Advisory Council (GTAC)
• Math Acceleration Policy
• Early Entrance Policy
• Board Policy 610
• Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented (MCGT)
• Hoagies’ Gifted Page
• Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth
• National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC)
• Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG)
• University of Minnesota (UMTYMP)

For information regarding elementary gifted and talented services contact:
Pam McDonald, Gifted and Talented Teacher on Special Assignment @651-683-6980 Pam.McDonald@district196.org

For information regarding middle school gifted and talented services contact:
Mary Spychalla, Middle School Gifted and Talented Liaison @952-431-8300
Mary.Spychalla@district196.org

For information regarding high school gifted and talented services contact:
The principal at the high school for which you are seeking information