Talented and Gifted

The Talented & Gifted Program serves students who demonstrate outstanding abilities or potential in the areas of general intellectual ability or specific ability aptitude. Students who demonstrate outstanding potential, when compared with others of their age, require differentiated instruction.

Differentiated programming will enable these students to maximize their life-long learning potential and contribute to the betterment of their community. Community-wide advocacy of differentiated programming for these students is essential. These are the beliefs that have guided the design of the Davenport Community Schools Talented & Gifted (TAG) Program for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Focus Areas

• The TAG program has three focus areas for all of the activities and lessons students may participate in. They are Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Social Emotional Learning. These come directly from the NAGC Standards for Gifted Students.

Personalized Educational Plan (All year)

• A PEP is a planning and programming document designed for students who have been formally identified as needing gifted services. This document is used throughout the student’s school experiences to articulate specific needs, to plan and provide programming, and to document growth. The planned services may be delivered as part of differentiated instruction within the classroom setting, as part of group extension experiences, or on an individualized basis. A PEP is developed by the student and the building TAG Facilitator in collaboration with a student’s regular education teacher(s) and parent(s). The PEP ensures the continued provision and ongoing appropriateness of the provided services. Students who have been formally identified as gifted are served throughout the school year with a continuous PEP which is reviewed and renewed annually.

Additional Resources/Opportunities

• Davenport Community School District TAG Site

• TAG Brochure

• Parent Handbook

• Belin-Blank Center: Iowa Online AP Academy

If you have any further questions about any of these programs, please do not hesitate to contact Mechelle Janz, Central High School TAG Facilitator, janzme@davenportschools.org. 

Students must be identified TAG students within the district. If your student is not currently identified, let our TAG teacher, Mechelle Janz, know and she will begin the process.