As the Stone Mountain,  GT Facilitators,  it is our job to IDENTIFY, PLAN FOR, and SERVE GT learners. 

IDENTIFY: It is our primary job to identify our gifted students at Stone Mountain. The identification process begins when a parent or teacher submits a referral for gifted identification.  Once the referral is received, the identification process begins.  A Body of Evidence is collected that includes Aptitude Data (Cognitive Testing), Achievement Data (IReady, CMAS), Norm Referenced Teacher Observation Data, and Performance (daily learning) Evaluation. Our GT ID team meets a few times throughout the school year to review students in the referral process or in our Talent Pool. Determinations will either be Yes, No, or we will place, or have the student continue, in our Talent Pool if we need time to collect more data.

PLAN FOR and SERVE: This means we work with identified students and their teacher(s) to ensure they are getting the correct programming and their unique needs as a gifted learner are being fostered and met.   Gifted students are placed in classroom settings with like peers  to work on differentiated and advanced concepts in literacy and math. The primary goal is that the learning, differentiation, and enrichment is taking place within the classroom setting. As GT Facilitators, our role is to support students and teachers.  Most often we will provide IN class support for Literacy and Math. Flexible "pull out" groups may also take place during WINN-grade level intervention, however, to follow best practices, gifted learners should get the differentiation and enrichment to work toward their ALP goals primarily within the regular classroom at Stone Mountain.  

Beginning in 3rd grade and continuing through 6th grade math programming at SME includes advanced math with our compacting math trajectory.  Students do not have to have an ALP for this programming although many do. Students who qualify for math compacting have data and a full body of evidence has been collected for placement.

ADDITIONAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS A GT FACILITATOR:

In addition to supporting our Stone Mountain gifted learners and Talent Pool students in the classroom, as the facilitator for SME we are also responsible for:

• Developing and collaboratively with teachers maintaining all ALPs for gifted students

•  Coaching/mentoring and finding or providing resources for our teachers on ways they can support their GT students

• Providing, or collaborating with our GT District support staff,to provide professional development for our SME teachers on all things GT

• Organizing and implementing CogAT testing twice a year

• Compiling CogAT data and communicating the results to 6th and 2nd grade families

• Administering IOWA testing in 6th grade and bridging the transition for our GT students to Middle School including class placement for Language Arts and Math

• Attending District GT Facilitator training at least once per month

• Collaborating with other TRHS feeder GT Facilitators 

• Developing and working with our GT ID Team to make determinations for gifted identification 

• Collecting and maintaining robust bodies of evidence for students going through the identification process

• Advocating for our gifted learners at SME

• Providing communication to families of gifted learners about resources and ways to support their gifted child

• Planning for and implementing WINN programming for grades K-6 

• Facilitating Math Olympiad programming for 5th and 6th grades

• Seeking out resources and writing grants for gifted resources for students and staff

• Collaborating with our school counselor who helps address the specific needs of gifted learners with ongoing SEL lessons focused on the gifted student