Dave Stickland - Professional Learning Specialist, Gifted Education Coordinator

Gifted and talented students are those students between the ages of four and twenty-one whose abilities, talents, and potential for accomplishment are exceptional or developmentally advanced in a way that may require special provisions to meet their educational programming needs. Gifted students include students with disabilities (i.e. twice exceptional) and students with exceptional abilities or potential from all socio-economic and ethnic, cultural populations. Gifted students are capable of high performance, exceptional production, or exceptional learning behavior by virtue of any or a combination of these areas:

•General or Specific Intellectual Ability

•Specific Academic Aptitude

•Creative or Productive Thinking

•Leadership Abilities

•Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Musical or Psychomotor Abilities

Unlike elementary and middle schools which typically offer more direct support and extension opportunities for gifted learners, high school students meet their academic goals by enrolling in the wide array of courses and programs offered, both on and off campus. Please refer to our current high school course catalog for a complete listing of opportunities and requirements for enrollment eligibility. In addition to academic programming options, all students create a personalized pathway to ensure post secondary readiness through the Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) process.

Students with an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) are encouraged to set academic goals, but in high school those goals are best met by the courses a student selects. This allows students to specialize in areas of strength or interest.

For more information please feel free to contact:

Natasha Straayer- DCSD Director of Personalized Learning- natasha.straayer@dcsdk12.org

David Larsen- Middle and High School Gifted Education Lead- david.larsen@dcsdk12org

Want to get more involved? Please see the Douglas County Associated for Gifted and Talented (DCAGT) for more information.