How does a student become eligible to attend an HGT Magnet School in DPS? 

Students must have a qualifying cognitive test score in the 95th percentile or above to become magnet eligible. 

Elementary and Middle School Gifted Magnet Program (HGT)

The Gifted and Talented magnet program provides an educational option for students who have been designated as magnet eligible (ME) or identified as Highly Gifted (HGT). This educational option is provided to address the extreme needs of students with exceptional intellectual ability.  Magnet Eligible students benefit from a higher concentration of intellectual peers at a magnet site which supports their unique social needs and promotes friendship building.

This program is designed for the students whose cognitive ability is in the top 5th percentile or above, demonstrating the most extreme needs which cannot be met in a traditional classroom. This program is not specifically designed for students with abilities in the arts, leadership or creativity, although cognitively gifted students may also have these strengths.

In order to access this program, a family must go through the School Choice process when a student has been designated as magnet eligible (ME) or Highly Gifted (HGT) with a cognitive test scored in the 95th percentile or above.

Please contact the HGT magnet schools with questions regarding the school specific programming.

Current HGT Magnet Sites and GT Teachers

Morey Middle School (6th-8th) - Coza Perry

Archuleta Elementary (1st-5th) - Lisa Dye

Cory Elementary (1st-5th) - JJ Eagleston

Stephen Knight Center for Early Education (Cory's Kindergarten)- Chelsea Chappell-Cox

Edison Elementary (ECE-5th) - Rachel Chappell

Gust Elementary (ECE-5th) - Catherine Forington

Polaris Elementary (What makes Polaris shine?) (1st-5th)- Sarah Holdeman

Teller Elementary (ECE-5th) - Marian Dorsey

Currently there are no HGT Magnet High Schools

Reach out to the school's GT teacher for more information about programming at their school.

Information About School Choice & the GT Department

Magnet eligible students are able to apply to any of the magnet sites listed above for the following school year. 

Magnet eligibility does not guarantee placement at a magnet site. Families must apply with Choice and Enrollment Services to be considered for magnet placement. 

• First Round School Choice: The application typically opens in January and closes in mid-February. Following the nomination deadline, the DPS GT Department receives a list of applicants and applies the HGT priority for the lottery. School Choice will run the lottery and send out the results to families. 

• Second Round School Choice: The application typically reopens in March/April and closes in August. The second round does not function on a lottery, but rather on a first-come, first-served basis for the seats remaining at the school from the first round. Applicants will appear on a waitlist until the GT Department receives the applicant lists from Choice and applies the HGT priority.

The GT Department cannot place students directly and does not influence placement at any school.

FAQs

What role does the Gifted and Talented Department play in the School Choice process? Our office receives a list of applicants from School Choice and approves students with the HGT priority (meaning the student has the HGT or ME label). We confirm eligible students and send the list back to the School Choice office for the lottery or second round approval. Our interaction with the School Choice process is limited to applying the HGT/ME priority. Our office does not assist in the application process, lottery decisions, placement, waitlist position, or transportation of a magnet eligible student. For questions about the application, lottery, or acceptance processes, please contact the Office of Choice and Enrollment directly at 720-423-3493. 

I received a magnet eligibility notice for my child. Do I have to send them to a magnet site?  No. Magnet site enrollment is not mandatory. Magnet site placement is a decision made by the family. HGT/ME students are still eligible to receive gifted support services at their neighborhood school. The decision to attend a magnet site should be based on whether a child’s academic and social needs are being met. Magnet sites are an option for families, but they are never forced or mandated for a child to attend. We always recommend families visit schools and determine what is best for their child. Once a child is made Magnet Eligible or Highly Gifted (HGT), the family may pursue an HGT Magnet School at at time in their child's DPS career as magnet eligibility does not expire once received. 

I'm not sure if a magnet site is appropriate for my child. What should I do? If your child is happy at their current school and is getting their needs met, you may not wish to seek magnet placement.  We encourage you to review the websites of the schools, and even possibly schedule a tour, to determine the best fit for your child. You may also consider talking about your child's status and appropriate programming options with the appointed GT teacher at your current school.

Where can I learn more about the School Choice priorities? The priorities processes can be found on the School Choice website. The following PDFs list out the 22-23 priorities for each current magnet site Morey, Lena Archuleta, Cory, Edison, Gust, Polaris, Teller.

Please note: Morey's HGT strand does not factor in as a neighborhood priority.

I have two children and one is not magnet eligible. Can I send them to the same school? Most of the magnet sites function as both HGT and as a neighborhood school. If you have one child with a ME designation and another that does not, you can select that school for both children with one on the HGT track. Polaris is the only stand-alone HGT site, meaning only students who are magnet eligible may attend (see Polaris priority list here)

Where can I learn more about transportation to the magnet sites?  The GT Department does not make transportation decisions. For questions about routes and options for transportation, please contact Transportation Services directly. 

My child is on the waitlist at my preferred magnet site. Can DPS Gifted and Talented influence the waitlist? No. Our office cannot move a child up or directly place them into HGT classrooms. Please work with School Choice to discuss your child's position on the waitlist and what options might be available to you should your first ranking choice not result in acceptance. Waitlist positions are dynamic and will fluctuate as spots become available or if another student with additional priorities applies. To learn more about the processes involved in this process, please visit the School Choice Waitlist page.