Gifted and Talented  

Please direct any scheduling questions to the grade level guidance counselor.  Any questions regarding ALPs or resources you may be interested in, please email lcalkins@lps.k12.co.us.

GTAC book study : Embracing the Whole Gifted Self 

New book recommendation from CAGT conference for parents Raising Critical Thinkers

Great online resources for the latest in G/T research or for finding out more about gifted children.

• National Society for the Gifted and Talented

• National Association for Gifted Children

• Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented

• Family Education

• Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG)

• Center for Bright Kids

Perfectionism in Gifted Students

One issue that often plagues both GT parents and students is perfectionism, or the need to "be perfect."  Steven Haas, a Colorado gifted educator, recommends these strategies when dealing with perfectionism.

• Their best, not the best

• Model healthy excellence for your students

• Separate your self worth from products and evaluations

• Mistakes are an important part of challenge

• Share your own mistakes

• Read biographies of failure, rejection, success, and feelings

• Teach self-evaluation and criticism

• Teach how to congratulate others and how to share successes

• Occasional breaks in routine model flexibility

• Teach brainstorming and open-ended problem solving

• There is more than one way to get to a correct answer

• Teach humor

• Teach how to be selective, especially with the internet

• Help student determine the value of an assignment

• Apportion effort for the highest payoff

• Teach the value of small steps and incremental improvements

How to Read an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP)

Aside from student demographics (name, age, grade level, etc.) a student's ALP has a few key components.  One is the area or areas in which a student is identified gifted.  These areas are typically math, language arts, or both.

Students met to share their interests, level of support, and discussed the value of goal setting.  The G/T facilitator supported students with suggestions and help in writing their academic and affective goals.   

There is also a section stating parent involvement.  ALPs read with one or both of the following for parents: i.e.: celebrate student success, expect attendance, monitor student progress, providing time/space for homework...  If a parent disagrees with the parental involvement listed on the ALP, please contact the GT facilitator to have it changed. 

The student goals are in multiple sections. The students' academic goals are based on iReady scores and have a standard attached. All GT students are expected to achieve 90th percentile on iReady. Students also have an affective goal on their ALP.  These may be done in five main areas:  organization, self-advocacy, problem solving, flexibility, and leadership.  The affective goal is designed for students to think about themselves as overall learners and choose an area in which they want to try to improve.

Another part of the ALP is the instructional actions/strategies section.  This part shows parents the way services are being delivered for their student(s).  Because the predominant way we deliver services at Powell is through accelerated math and language arts, these descriptors reflect the ideas of accelerated class and a differentiated traditional classroom. If you have specific questions about programming and accountability for an ALP, please contact your student's Language Arts, Math teacher, or the GT facilitator.