Author: Kimberly Stevens

Info. Sheet on the Trumann School District
Gifted and Talented Program
I. Serves students identified as possessing high potential or ability - seen as above average intelligence, task commitment and/or creativity.
II. Identification Process:
A. Our district policy is to actively seek nominations throughout the school year but the natural flow of nominations typically intensifies in the early fall and early summer due to teachers nominations. Notification of this the identification process is to appear periodically in the local paper, communicating our policy of taking nominations at anytime throughout the school year. However, as stated previously, in order to meet the natural influx of nominations that occur at the beginning and end of each school year, scheduled time for testing facilitating the identification process will be strategically planned in early fall (beginning of each school year) and early summer prior to summer vacation (at the close of every school year).
B. Recommendations can be made by teacher, parent, or students “self-nomination”
C. After receiving permission to test from parents, recommended students are given:
Two subjective, and two objective assessments
1. one I.Q. test (administered by GT Coordinator)
2. a creativity test (administered by GT Coordinator)
3. a thinking and reasoning test (administered by GT Coordinator)
D. Other information is gathered on each recommended student such as:
1. Teacher recommendation rating scales (Renzulli)
2. Parental home observation “background questionnaire” (on student interests and abilities).
3. Exemplary student work samples may also be submitted
4. State Standardized Assessment Scores will also be considered
5. No single criterion or cut off score is used during the identification process
E. All student information is placed on a data sheet with an assigned ID number rather than the students name so that the selection process is done “blind”.
F. Students are selected by a committee consisting of a principal, the GT coordinator/
facilitator, and no less than three teachers from our various district schools (depending on the grade level of the nominee). This panel is known as the Identification Committee.
G. Parents are notified of the committee’s decision and a conference is requested
1. All parents are shown evaluation/screening information that was gathered
2. Parents whose children were recommended for placement must sign a consent agreeing to place their child in the GT program where they will receive weekly services. Parents get an overview of the Gifted and Talented program and a copy of the GT student handbook. Again, it is an AR state GT standard, that our district require parents to sign a consent in order for their child to receive services in the GT program.
a.) FYI —It is also another State GT standard (7.0 )that our district must have documentation of annual review placement—of each identified GT student case must be reviewed. Then once a decision is made as to weather GT services are still needed and warranted, parental consent must be obtained on a yearly basis.
3. Parents whose children were recommended to remain in the nomination pool are informed their children’s data sheet will be re-evaluated each year by the committee for possible placement at a later time.

III. District GT Program Overview
A. Serves students in Kindergarten -12
1. Kindergarten, First, and Second grade students receive enrichment activities on a weekly basis
2. Identified GT students in grades 3-8 are pulled out of the regular class for 2 1/2 hrs. (150 minutes) once a week.
3. Identified H.S. GT students receive secondary content differentiation (AP, and Pre- AP offerings) additionally a GT facilitator must meet with these students for at least 30 minutes monthly in order to fulfill Arkansas State GT Standards
B. Curriculum consists of student selected interest units developed around 5 major areas:
1. Critical thinking - analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating
2. Creative thinking - (brainstorming) fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration & creative problem solving
3. Logical thinking - drawing conclusions based on deductive and inductive reasoning
4. Affective - self concept, interpersonal relationships & leadership skills
5. Independent/Group Study - research, organizational skills, presentation of products
G.I.F.T.S. Goal in a nut shell: Students will become self -directed life long learners.

Extended Program Offerings
I. G.I.F.T.S. umbrellas two other programs for gifted students
A. Odyssey of the Mind - which is a creative problem solving program
1. School wide program K-12 - any student can try-out for a team
2. Usually have 5 teams - but have had up to 7
3. Teams have 5 to 7 students
4. Trumann teams have always been very successful
a. Always have 2 to 4 teams placing in the top three slots in regional competition enabling them to attend state competition
b. Our district usually has 2 to 3 teams placing in the 2nd , 3rd or 4th place at state competition
5. Trumann Administrators and School Board strongly
support our OM program.
B. Quiz Bowl - general knowledge competition
1. 3 teams = Elementary, JR High & High School
2. Teams have 4 to 8 students
3. Trumann teams have been very successful!
a. Elementary teams have consistently placed in the top 4 places in district competition