The SPS Gifted and Talented Program aims to identify students who demonstrate high potential and provide opportunities that develop cognitive and creative talents in those children through site-developed program plans. 

"Gifted and talented children" are those students who have evidenced high performance capability in cognitive ability such as intellectual or academic achievement, or in creativity and talent areas. These students require a differentiated curriculum with greater challenges, more complexity and abstraction, and faster-paced instruction.  Appropriate opportunities for the gifted are a logical and essential part of a school system which recognizes and respects individual differences among its students.

Many students in the district receive supplemental support such as individualized educational plans, 504s, speech, occupational therapy, or other support through our Special Services department. These students are not precluded from participation in the Gifted and Talented program, and the district has many such "twice exceptional" students.  

The designated district gifted and talented coordinator will oversee the identification process and procedures to ensure consistency and compliance. Procedures used in the identification process will be nondiscriminatory with respect to race, economic background, national origin or handicapping condition. Identification procedures include the following: 

1. 

   All students will be screened up to twice during elementary using a nationally normed test of intellectual abilities to determine a potential pool of gifted and talented students.

2.  Students may qualify for gifted and talented placement by:

   1. scoring in the top 3% on a test of intellectual ability

   2. qualifying through a multicriteria evaluation in one or more of the capability areas: specific academic ability, creative thinking ability, leadership ability, visual performing arts ability 

3. Nominations from professional educators, parents, peers, the student themselves, or others as appropriate.

4. The District Testing Coordinator will oversee the assessment process of the nationally standardized test of intellectual ability. Gifted Resource Teachers will administer the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) for the identification process at their individual school sites. If a need arises, alternative assessments may be given at the discretion of the District Testing Coordinator or designated gifted and talented coordinator.

5. The Gifted Resource Teacher will also collect the appropriate data which may include standardized achievement tests, project assessments, and records of student achievement. If the student demonstrates divergent talent, the student may be asked to submit a portfolio or complete rating scale. 

6. Advanced Placement is available for all students regardless of whether the student is identified in specific programs.  Screening test bands for possible gifted identification are 6^th – 8^th and 9^th – 12^th Non-testing data will also be collected which may include checklists, student work portfolios, and student achievement outside the school’s curriculum.

7. The Gifted Resource Teacher will comprise an eligibility team to make placement recommendations based on all available information. Administrator or their designee, regular class teacher, and others as appropriate will provide pertinent information to facilitate placement decisions that reflect careful consideration of the student’s educational needs, interests and abilities in light of programming options.

8. Identification and placement will include parental involvement:

   1. Parent permission is required for individual testing.

   2. An additional evaluation is available upon parent request.  The school district will administer an individualized standardized intelligence test in the event of an additional evaluation.

   3. Parents are given written notice that their child has been identified for placement in the gifted program.

   4. Parents are provided a summary of the gifted education program to be offered to their child.

   5. Parents may appeal a placement decision with which they disagree.

      1. Parents may request reconsideration from the building committee if they disagree by emailing their request to the building principal.

      2. Parents may also request a conference with the testing coordinator and/or the district coordinator for the gifted education program.

      3. If a parent requests a reconsideration from a building principal, the building principal will alert the designated district gifted and talented coordinator. The designated district gifted and talented coordinator will convene a committee to re-evaluate the student placement decision based on the current, provided student data. The re-evaluation committee may not include people from the first committee, but should include at least 3 district level administrators.

9. The Gifted Resource Teacher will administer the nationally normed screener  three times a year for new gifted referrals/nominations; Fall (Aug. – Oct), Winter (Nov. – Jan.), and Spring (Feb. – Mar. for the following school year.) Services are provided for grades PK through twelve.  Students who do not qualify for the program may be re-evaluated at the next grade level if the parents and the school building committee determine this action to be appropriate. Opportunities are provided for students to be considered for placement throughout their school experience.
   
   Students who qualify for the program but who do not participate at a given level may request participation at a later grade level. Opportunities are provided for students to be considered for placement throughout their school experience.

   1. Once a student is identified for gifted and talented placement, they will remain identified throughout the duration of their enrollment in Stillwater Public Schools.  

   2. Student placement decisions in the capability areas are based on multiple criteria.  No single criterion or cut-off score is used to exclude a student from placement.  Students who do not qualify on the basis of standardized intelligence testing are reviewed in light of additional criteria which include:  classroom performance with work sample documentation, achievement test performance, outside projects, and expressed interest and desire to participate. Students who are being assessed for divergent talent ability should not be excluded based solely on cognitive scores.
      Students who were identified as gifted and talented in another school district will be considered for identification and placement by the building level committee after review of the student’s records from the previous school district. Per Oklahoma law, efforts will be made not to “ungift” a student moving in from another district or from out of state. However, students must have complete gifted and talented records in order to qualify. If parents cannot produce complete and accurate school records, they may request gifted and talented testing.

   3. Strict confidentiality procedures will be followed with regard to obtaining parental permission to test, testing results, and placement decisions.

   4. Records of placement decisions and data on all nominated students will be kept on file for a minimum of five years or for as long as needed for educational decisions.

REVIEW OF STUDENT PROGRESS

Students participating in the Gifted Education Program are evaluated on a regular basis with attention to mastery of content, higher level thinking skills and creativity as well as work habits and group interactions.  This evaluation includes an individual assessment or grade of performance which primarily focuses on:

1. Goals set and accomplished

2. Completion of, performance on, and/or involvement with assigned activities

Evaluation of the appropriateness of a student’s placement in the gifted education program will be ongoing.  Communication between the parent and teachers regarding progress will be facilitated by the Gifted Resource Teacher.

DISCONTINUATION OF SERVICE

Once a student is identified for gifted and talented placement, they will remain identified throughout the duration of their enrollment in Stillwater Public Schools. Furthermore, parents have the right to determine if they want their child to be served in gifted and talented programming.

 A conference with the parents and the student is required to make the determination of any placement change.  Efforts will be made to make appropriate modifications in the student’s program to provide for program continuation.  Discontinuation of service will take place with the student, parent, teacher, and principal or administrator designee and should be reviewed annually. If a discontinuation of service determination is made, the student’s status of “gifted” remains intact and at any time if the parents and student decide to continue service, no re-assessments of giftedness will need to be made.

The Stillwater Gifted Education Program is provided as a part of the school schedule. The program offers a differentiated curriculum which is modified in pace, breadth, and depth and includes content, process and product options that are appropriately matched with students' needs and interests and provide academic/social support. Flexible and innovative teaching and learning environments encourage exploration and experimentation beyond the traditional curriculum and is planned to assure continuity throughout the student’s enrollment in the Stillwater school system.

Differentiation of instruction is the overriding philosophical foundation for gifted services. Differentiating the curriculum so that it is appropriate for gifted and talented students implies modification of student goals and objectives, instructional strategies, learning experiences, and evaluation. Differentiated curriculum is provided in gifted classes, as well as in the regular education program. Gifted Resource Teachers not only provide direct curriculum and instructional programs and services for gifted learners, but also support regular classroom teachers to enable them to meet the needs of these learners within the regular classroom.

PreK- Grade 1

The curriculum for PreK-1 grades focuses on the provision of enrichment activities to enhance the grade level content with above grade level resources being provided as needed. The students in grades 2-5 will be provided a differentiated curriculum adapted to student interests and needs.  The Gifted Resource Teachers encourage teachers to differentiate instruction and enrich the curriculum for all learners, often teaching additional classes in art, research skills and technology skills. 

Students identified in PreK-1 grade may receive monitoring and consultation services. The Gifted Resource Teachers will work directly with the PreK-1 teachers to provide resources for differentiated instruction. 

Grades 2-5

Students in grades 2-5 participate in a pullout program. Instructional coursework emphasizes higher level thinking skills, independent project completion skills including goal setting/evaluation, research skills, information technology skills, and public speaking aligned to the student’s giftedness or specific capability area.  Unit studies provide opportunities for students to progress at an individualized pace while providing enriching experiences beyond those in the classroom.  The gifted program teacher provides first-graders whole group instruction once a month in the regular classroom focusing on higher level thinking skills.

• Grade 2 - 1.5-2 hours per week
• Grade 3 - 2 hours per week
• Grade 4 - 2-2.5 hours per week. 

District Resources

SPS Gifted Education Plan

Gifted Education Teachers 

Local Advisory Committee

OSU PK-12 Teacher Professional Development 

State Resources

OSDE Gifted and Talented Website

OK State Statute /  OK Administrative Rules

External Resources

Links to camps, opportunities for enrichment, and more coming soon.