What is Gifted and Talented?

First, Let's Review! What is Gifted and Talented?

“Gifted and Talented student” means a child or youth who performs at or shows the potential for performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience or environment and who:

• exhibits high-performance capability in an intellectual, creative or artistic area;

• possesses an unusual capacity for leadership; or

• excels in a specific academic field.

- Texas Education Code

This definition is now codified in The Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students (Texas Education Agency, 2009), it is the basis for identification and services that must be provided for gifted and talented students in Texas.

“Gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in top 10% or rarer) in one or more domains. Domains include any structured area of activity with its own symbol system (e.g., mathematics, music, language) and/or set of sensorimotor skills (e.g., painting, dance, sports).”

- National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)

"The term ‘gifted and talented,” when used with respect to students, children, or youth, means students, children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in such areas as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities."

- Federal Definition

In Order to Accommodate Our GT Students' Needs Here at Pfluger We...

At Pfluger, we cluster our GT students together into classes taught by GT Certified Teachers. These teachers differentiate the curriculum on a daily basis for each subject. Differentiation can happen by process, content, or product.

What is differentiation you ask?

**Check out the link below for a definition of the term as well as examples of what that would look like in the classroom setting for GT students.**

https://www.edglossary.org/differentiation/

**Here's a great link for you to look at. Make sure to check out the common "buzzwords" that you might hear in relation to your GT student(s) and what they mean!**

https://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources/glossary-terms

**Here's a link that gives some helpful information about the terms depth and complexity!**

http://envisiongifted.com/services/understanding-depth-complexity/

Our GT students also have the opportunity to do higher level/interest projects during our daily WIN times as well as, in some grades, Genius Hour! This allows them to have a chance work on passion projects that challenge them to take a concept that they have shown a strong understanding of to a deeper level. We want DEEP roots, not surface level roots. DEEP roots will really help guide our GT students on their future classwork.

Our Pfluger GT teachers for this school year are:

1st grade: Megan Brown

2nd grade: Ellen Mangelsdorf

3rd grade: Morgan Bardeguez and Patti Knotts

4th grade: Tammy Knuston, Courtney Hernandez, and Stephanie Collins

5th grade: Christine Coats, Linda Lee, Ellen Gauthier