Gifted & Talented
Gifted and Talented at Kendrick Lakes Elementary School
In the spring of 2023 there was a meeting with our district GT leadership where all our current GT center eligible student’s families were informed that our GT Center-Based programming will be dissolved by the end of this school year and shifted to an inclusion model with GT clusters.
Here at Kendrick Lakes, we will continue to meet the needs of our gifted learners by:
- Implementation of Individualized Accelerated Learning Plans (ALPs)
- Clustering of identified gifted students within our general education classrooms
- Differentiated instruction for ELA (enrichment & extensions)
- Differentiated instruction for Math (enrichment & extensions)
If your child is currently accelerated in math by 1 year, decisions for continued acceleration and programming for those students needing 6th grade level math as 5th graders will be determined in May
- a GT Social Emotional Learning Counselor (1 more year) dedicated to our accelerated learner’s social, emotional needs
Advanced Learning Plan
Kendrick Lakes develops an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) to guide programming for every identified gifted student.
Gifted and Talented SEL Counselors provide counseling support to gifted students at GT center schools. The support system that GT SELCs provide encompasses the CASEL competencies of self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, relationship skills, and social awareness. SELCs collaborate with all stakeholders including teachers, school mental health providers, administrators, parents, and any outside agency involved in the student’s life in order to provide quality support for gifted learners. They provide classroom instruction, small group interventions, and brief individual counseling support within the GT center of the school. SELCs are also available for consultation with any school needing advisement in serving GT populations.
Gifted & Talented in Jeffco
The Jeffco Public Schools Gifted and Talented (GT) Department’s vision is to Actualize Learners’ Potential for gifted and high-ability learners through a focus on access, equity, inclusion and diversity. All students deserve an education that provides meaningful growth academically, socially and emotionally.
Each year, every second grader in Jeffco takes The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) which measures reasoning skills with different types of verbal, quantitative and nonverbal questions. The results of this test inform teachers which students may be identified as gifted and talented.
What Is A Gifted Student?
GT students are learners between the ages of four and 21 whose abilities, talents or potential for accomplishment are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special educational programming. Children under five who are gifted may also receive early childhood special educational services.
Gifted students include students from all backgrounds who have exceptional abilities or potential. Gifted students are capable of exceptional performance, production or learning behavior and have one or more of these areas of giftedness:
Areas of giftedness
- Intellectual abilities
- Specific academic skills
- Creative or productive thinking
- Leadership abilities
- Visual arts, performing arts or musical abilities
- Physical skills
The 2024 Fall GT Center application is now closed. Please contact your GT Resource Teacher with questions regarding GT Center.