Mission and Philosophy

Our Mission

In keeping with the Bozeman Public Schools' goal to offer instructional strategies that address differences in abilities, needs, and learning styles of all students, the district is committed to the identification of gifted learners and providing appropriate educational experiences for them.

Over the course of the 2016-17 school year, Gifted Education Coordinators met with parents, teachers, principals, and the district Gifted PLC to evaluate gifted education supports. The collaboration resulted in the development of a district-wide model to address the academic, social, and emotional needs of gifted learners. Steps to effectuate the model occurred during the 2017-18 school year, and the district looks forward to continued growth in its implementation for meeting the needs of gifted learners and families.

Our Philosophy

The Bozeman School District utilizes the gifted label to denote a student has developmental differences from the norm which impact interaction with his/her learning environment. These differences manifest in unique academic, social, and emotional needs that require support in order for a student to be learning and interacting at a level commensurate with their need.

The unique needs of an individual student is not limited in scope to academic achievement or performance. While there are well-known common characteristics frequently seen in gifted students (see Gifted 101), the presence of and extent to which specific characteristics exist is highly individual. Therefore, the district does not have a separate “program” in which all identified students participate; rather, the district follows an MTSS framework in identifying and responding to the unique needs of all learners, including gifted learners. This is explained in detail under The MTSS Framework and Gifted Students.