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Q: What is a Talent Pool?
Answer
The purpose of a Talent Pool is to help connect students with opportunities to maximize their potential, grow their strengths, and/or develop unique abilities. Talent Pools also focus on collaborative and communal approaches to learning, so you can connect with like-minded people and learn in a community. (Don't worry, you can still work independently, too.)
Q: Can any student be a part of the Talent Pool?
Answer
Yes.
Anyone can refer (or self-refer!) a student to the Talent Pool. If you have heard about the Talent Pool and want to learn more, just use the interest form found on the Talent Pools Program page or email Stevens with your questions.
Some offerings may be time sensitive, for example signing up at the beginning of a quarter or turning in a permission slip. Other programs may need a minimum number of students for the program to be offered.
Our goal is to create an inclusive & accessible program.
Q: Is the Talent Pool required?
Answer
No.
We invite students to take advantage of these opportunities, connect with other students, and receive more individualized support, but this is not required of any student.
If you do not wish to be included in Talent Pool communication or opportunities, just let Stevens know.
Q: What will we do in Talent Pool?
Answer
Check out some of the program offerings planned for spring 2023. Depending on interest, we will offer as much as possible.
Talent Pool & GT students will also receive invitations to Lunch and Learns, guest speakers, as well as other opportunities. In the fall, we had a National Novel Writing Club, for example.
Q: So how is this different from being "identified gifted and talented"?
Answer
Gifted identification looks at scores and other data in the area of achievement, aptitude, and behaviors in the 95th percentile. A body of evidence is used to support a GT identification. You can learn more with these in-depth guides and overviews on the PSD GT website.
A Talent Pool in public education is a group of students who demonstrate advanced or above average abilities or skills in certain areas (everything from academics to the arts, leadership and more) but who have not been formally identified as "gifted and talented." A Talent Pool can create more equitable access to programs and opportunities for high potential students.
You can learn more from the CDE Identification Guidebook (page 18).
Talent Pool referral is more flexible and provides some local norms for greater local control (specific to PGA). Students are not formally identified GT with a Talent Pool membership. Our local norms for Talent Pool look for 80th percentile or above achievement, classroom performance, or other qualitative or quantitative data.
Please contact Kate Stevens for more information or to learn more about the referral process.
Email: catheris@psdschools.org