Should I refer my child for gifted identification?
A referral may be appropriate when a child consistently demonstrates advanced learning needs, unusually strong ability or potential, or a need for greater depth and challenge than is typically expected for their age or grade level.
Families may notice characteristics such as rapid learning, advanced problem solving, intense curiosity, sophisticated questions, creativity, strong interests, or performance well above grade level.
A referral does not guarantee gifted education, and families do not need to determine whether their child "is gifted" before submitting one. The referral simply begins the process of gathering and reviewing a broader body of evidence.
What is the difference between being "smart" and being gifted?
There is not a single characteristic that defines a gifted learner, and giftedness is not simply another word for being a strong student.
Many high-achieving students work hard, learn grade-level material successfully, and perform very well in school. Gifted learners may demonstrate learning needs that differ in pace, complexity, creativity, or level of abstraction from those of same-age peers.
Gifted students also do not necessarily earn perfect grades, complete every assignment easily, or demonstrate advanced ability in every subject. Identification is based on a body of evidence, rather than whether a student appears "smart" or receives high grades.
How can I refer my child for gifted identification?
St. Vrain Valley Schools opens a gifted referral window each September. During this time, parents and teachers may submit a referral application to the district.
Aspen Ridge will share the district referral link with families through our weekly school newsletter once it becomes available.
After a referral is submitted, existing student data are reviewed, and the district determines whether additional assessment or evidence is needed. Identification decisions are typically made in the spring, with families notified of results in May.
Important: All second-grade students participate in universal gifted screening through the district, so some students may already have an assessment date available for review.
What is the difference between Gifted Identification and Program & Monitor?
Formally Identified Gifted students have completed the district identification process and have a body of evidence that meets district and state criteria for gifted identification. Identified students receive an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) that identifies areas of strength and establishes goals designed to support continued growth.
Program & Monitor students demonstrate advanced learning needs and receive gifted programming and monitoring but have not yet been formally identified as gifted. Their performance and learning needs may continue to be monitored over time as additional data are collected.
At Aspen Ridge, both formally identified students and students designated Program & Monitor may participate in the K-8 Innovation Program.
What does the 95th percentile mean?
The 95th percentile is an important benchmark used when reviewing student performance for gifted identification. A score at the 95th percentile means a student's performance was equal to or higher than approximately 95% of students in the comparison group.
However, a single score at or above the 95th percentile does not automatically result in gifted identification. The district considers a broader body of evidence that may include achievement data, cognitive assessment results, classroom performance, teacher observations, and, when appropriate, portfolio evidence.
Aspen Ridge also looks for patterns of advanced learning over time, rather than relying on one assessment or one moment in a student's learning.
What is the K-8 Innovation Program?
The K-8 Innovation Program is Aspen Ridge's gifted programming experience for students who are formally identified for Gifted & Talented services or designated as Program & Monitor.
Students engage in sustained, student-driven inquiry connected to their interests, strengths, and areas for growth. Over time, students move from a meaningful question or challenge to research, exploration, creation, reflection, and ultimately sharing their learning through the Innovation Showcase.
The goal is not to complete a program. The program is designed to develop independence, creativity, problem-solving, perseverance, communication, and ownership of learning.
Who participates in the Innovation Program?
The K-8 Innovation Program is Aspen Ridge's gifted programming experience for students who are formally identified for Gifted & Talented services or designated as Program & Monitor.
Students who are undergoing the identification process may join the program following formal identification, depending on the timing within the school year and program expectations.
Other advanced learners will continue to receive appropriate differentiation and enrichment within their classrooms, even if they are not participants in the formal Innovation Program.
How do students choose their Innovation Project?
Students begin with wonder rather than simply choosing a product to make.
They consider their interests, strengths, curiosities, problems they would like to solve, and questions they genuinely want to investigate in their designated identification. From there, students select a driving question that gives their work direction.
The project should provide enough challenge and depth for the student to learn something new, not simply demonstrate something they already know how to do.
Can students work with partners?
No. Innovation Projects are individual projects.
Students are encouraged to collaborate with classmates, teachers, family members, mentors, and other experts as they research and learn, but each student is responsible for developing and completing their own project.
This allows the project to reflect the individual student's interests, growth, learning, and goals.
Can students change their project after September?
Students should choose their project thoughtfully because the Innovation Program is designed around sustained inquiry over time.
Small changes and refinements are expected as students learn more. In fact, strong inquiry often causes a question or project direction to evolve.
A completely new project after September, however, should be considered only when there is a clear reason and after discussing with the GT Teacher/Site Leader. Learning to work through challenges rather than immediately starting over is an important part of the process.
How much of the project should be completed at home?
Students will have opportunities at school to research, plan, meet with the GT Teacher/Site Leader, reflect, and make progress on their projects. Some work may also need to continue at home between check-ins.
The amount of work will vary depending on the student's project, age, goals, and materials needed.
Aspen Ridge will make every reasonable effort to provide access to resources and materials at school. However, resources are limited, and not every specialized material or tool can be provided. Students and families are encouraged to communicate with the GT Teacher/Site Leader when a project requires resources that may be difficult to access.
Is the Innovation Project extra homework?
The Innovation Project is part of a student's gifted programming rather than simply an additional homework assignment.
Students will receive structured opportunities to work, plan, research, and meet with the GT Teacher/Site Leader during the school year. Because this is a long-term project, students will also be expected ot manage their time and continue appropriate portions of their work independently.
The goal is to balance challenge and reasonable expectations while helping students develop independence and responsibility.
What is the family's role in the project?
Families are encouraged to be supporters, not project managers.
Parents and caregivers can ask questions, help students think through challenges, assist with transportation or accessing appropriate resources when possible, and encourage students to manage their time.
The ideas, decisions, research, work, and final presentation should remain student-driven. A project does not need to look professionally produced to demonstrate meaningful learning.
How are Innovation Projects assessed?
Innovation Projects are assessed primarily on the learning process, not the final product.
Students are expected to demonstrate growth through inquiry, research, problem solving, creativity, reflection, perseverance, communication, and their ability to explain what they learned.
A project does not have to turn out exactly as originally planned to be successful. Unexpected results, failed attempts, revisions, and changes in thinking can provide valuable evidence of learning.
For formally identified students, the project may also provide opportunities to support and demonstrate progress toward goals within the student's Advanced Learning Plan (ALP).
What if a student gets stuck?
Getting stuck is part of challenging work.
Students should bring questions, problems, unsuccessful attempts, or uncertainties to their scheduled check-ins. Together, the student and GT Teacher/Site Leader can identify possible next steps, locate resources, reconsider part of the plan, or break a larger problem into manageable pieces.
The goal is not for an adult to solve the problem for the student. Learning how to seek help, revise a plan, and persist through uncertainty is part of the Innovation Program.
What if a student's project doesn't work?
That is okay!
Innovation is not about guaranteeing a successful outcome. A student might test an idea that doesn't work, build something that needs redesigning, conduct research that changes their original thinking, or discover that their original solution is not possible.
Students can still present that journey at the Innovation Showcase. Being able to explain what happened, why it happened, what they learned, and what they would do differently demonstrates meaningful learning.
What happens if a student does not complete their project?
Students are expected to take responsibility for making consistent progress toward completing their Innovation Project.
If a student is struggling, the first response will be support: check-ins, problem solving, adjusting manageable next steps, and communication with the student and family when appropriate.
However, participation in the Innovation Showcase depends on meeting the project process expectations. A student who does not complete the required project work will not participate in the Showcase.
For formally identified students, this expectation also connects to the responsibility of working toward goals established through the student's Advanced Learning Plan (ALP). Gifted programming includes opportunities for advanced learning, but it also fosters accountability, independence, perseverance, and follow-through.
What is the Innovation Showcase?
The Innovation Showcase is the culminating celebration of the K–8 Innovation Program. It gives students an authentic audience for sharing the questions they explored, what they discovered, what they created, and how they grew throughout the project process.
The Showcase is about more than displaying a final product. Students are encouraged to communicate their thinking, process, challenges, discoveries, revisions, and learning.
Who participates in the Showcase?
The Innovation Showcase is for students participating in Aspen Ridge’s K–8 Innovation Program, which includes students who are formally identified for Gifted & Talented services and students designated as Program & Monitor.
Participation in the Showcase is also connected to completing the expectations of the Innovation Project. Students who do not complete their project will not participate in the Showcase.
When and where will the Showcase take place?
The Innovation Showcase is planned for March at Aspen Ridge Preparatory School.
The specific date, time, location within the school, arrival instructions, and other event details will be communicated to participating students and families in advance.
What are students expected to present?
Students will create a Showcase display that helps visitors understand both their project and their learning journey.
Depending on the student's project, the display may include the project title, big question, important discoveries, research, photographs, diagrams, prototypes, models, demonstrations, digital components, final products, or other evidence of learning.
Students should also be prepared to explain what they investigated, what they learned, what challenged them, how their thinking changed, and why their project matters.
Does every project need a physical product?
No. Innovation Projects are driven by meaningful questions and learning—not by the requirement to build something.
Some projects may result in a prototype, model, experiment, artwork, publication, or other physical creation. Others may result in research findings, a digital product, presentation, proposed solution, campaign, investigation, or another appropriate outcome.
The depth of inquiry, thinking, and learning matters more than the type of final product.
Does the project have to be successful or "work"?
No, and sometimes discovering that an idea doesn't work leads to some of the most meaningful learning.
Students may encounter failed attempts, unexpected results, changes in direction, or solutions that require revision. Those experiences are part of authentic inquiry and innovation.
At the Showcase, students should be able to explain what happened, what they learned from it, and what they might do differently if they continued the project.
The goal is growth and learning, not perfection.
How will students prepare to talk about their project?
Students will prepare for the Showcase as part of the Innovation Project process.
They will think about what they want visitors to understand, practice explaining their big question and discoveries, anticipate questions visitors may ask, and develop goals for their Showcase experience.
Students do not need to memorize a formal speech. The goal is for students to become comfortable talking authentically about work they know well because they have spent the year developing it.
What should students bring to the Showcase?
Students should bring everything necessary to safely and effectively share their project. Depending on the project, this may include:
Showcase display materials
Final product, prototype, model, or other creation
Photographs or other documentation
Demonstration materials
Approved technology or digital components
Any other materials identified during Showcase planning
Students will complete a Showcase Plan before the event to identify what they need to bring so they can arrive prepared.
Who can attend the Showcase?
The Innovation Showcase is intended to provide students with an authentic audience and celebrate their learning with the Aspen Ridge community.
Specific information about guests, family attendance, and event access will be shared with families as Showcase plans are finalized.
Will projects be judged or ranked?
No. The Innovation Showcase is a celebration of learning, not a competition.
Projects will not be ranked against one another, and the goal is not to determine which student created the “best” project. Each student's project reflects a different question, pathway, process, and learning experience.
Students are encouraged to focus on their individual growth, depth of learning, creativity, communication, and reflection.
What happens if a student is absent on Showcase night?
If a student knows in advance that they will be unable to attend the Innovation Showcase, families should communicate with the GT teacher as soon as possible.
Because presenting to an authentic audience is an important part of the Innovation Project experience, individual circumstances will be considered, and an appropriate next step will be determined when possible.
Can families help set up displays?
Families may help with transporting materials and reasonable setup needs, particularly when projects include large, fragile, or complicated components.
However, students should take primary responsibility for organizing and explaining their own Showcase display. The display is part of the student's project experience and should reflect student ownership.
What if technology is part of the project?
Technology can absolutely be part of an Innovation Project when it meaningfully supports the student's learning or final product.
Students who plan to use a computer, tablet, video, website, game, presentation, audio, or another digital component should discuss their technology needs during Showcase planning.
Whenever possible, students should also have a backup plan in case technology, internet access, or equipment does not work as expected on Showcase night.
How long will students be expected to stay at the Showcase?
Participating students should plan to remain for the full student participation period so they have time to share their work with multiple visitors and experience the Showcase as a community of innovators.
Specific arrival, setup, presentation, and dismissal times will be communicated to families once the annual Showcase schedule is finalized.