The placement process for students in the Prairie Grove Gifted and Talented program has several stages: Nomination, Data collection, and placement/program option decisions.
ANYONE with knowledge of the student can nominate a student for the GT program (parents, teachers, administrators, community members, and even students themselves!) at any point during the year. Information is obtained through a variety of procedures and from multiple independent sources. Student placement decisions are based on multiple criteria. It is important to note that NO SINGLE CRITERION or cut-off score is used to determine placement into the Prairie Grove GT program. Every student nominated will be tested thoroughly for his/her best educational placement, and the ultimate goal is to determine if a student NEEDS services beyond those provided in the regular classroom. It is important to keep in mind that our GT program is a needs-based service. We also universally screen students for placement in the program in 2nd and 4th grade.
A placement committee of at least five members chaired by the GT Coordinator collects and analyzes data on each nominated student, maintains appropriate records, and makes professional decisions on placement of students. The ultimate goal of the committee is to determine, based on data, if a student needs services beyond what the regular classroom can provide. This committee is comprised of members from multiple buildings, administration, and district employees.
It is equally important to note that procedures used in the placement process are non-discriminatory with respect to race, cultural or economic background, religion, national origin, sex, or handicapping condition. Before testing can begin, parents must submit a signed letter giving the GT program permission to test. Parents will also be notified of their child's results.
Any parent wishing to appeal the decision of the placement committee can refer to the GT handbook (click here) for the appropriate procedure.
For more information on our GT program, please view the attached parent brochure below.