Gifted and Talented Program

Elementary Gifted and Talented Program:

• Enriched Pull-Out Classes for Grades K-5: Elementary students who are identified as Gifted and Talented are served by a Gifted and Talented Facilitator in a weekly pull-out class on the student’s home campus. This program is designed to challenge and equip gifted students for maximum growth. Students participate in a variety of enriched activities designed to challenge the learner to cultivate problem solving capacity. Students work on thinking, reasoning, teamwork and developing social and emotional skills. The GT program has a strong focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) learning. Students are provided opportunities to work with other GT students on their home campus and throughout the district.
• Field Trips: Gifted and Talented students are provided the opportunity to enhance their learning by participating in field trips with other GT students throughout the district.

• Testing Periods:
  • Fall - Kindergarten, 2nd Grade and 5th Grade
  • Spring- K-5th grade nominations

• Nomination Process
  • Raven Screening
  • Teacher Observations
  • Parent Questionnaire

If a student meets the requirements for any 2 of the 3 criteria above, they will move on to testing.

• Testing
  • NNAT3
  • Torrance 

If a student meets the requirements for 4 of the 5 criteria listed above, they will be identified to receive services through the PAISD Gifted & Talented Program.

 

• Identification Instruments:
  • Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability Test (NNAT3):  The Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability Test is a nationally norm-referenced test that measures general reasoning ability.  This test can be administered to students in grades K-12.  The test scores are not influenced by a student’s verbal or quantitative knowledge, which makes the test useful for culturally and linguistically diverse populations.
  • Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT):  The Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) is a nationally normed standardized test which measures a student’s creativity through the components of fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration.  Artistic ability does not factor into this test.  The TTCT consists of three tasks, each designed to tap somewhat different aspects of creative functioning.