6172.1 - Gifted and Talented Student Programs

6172.1

Instruction

Gifted and Talented Students Program

It is the intent of the Windsor Locks Board of Education that each child “shall have equal opportunity to receive a suitable program of educational experiences”. Therefore, a program of instruction will be provided for the gifted and talented which is commensurate with the abilities of the student. Programs for the gifted and talented exist to enable students capable of functioning independently to develop their potential, unique interests and abilities and to meet the demands of a complex society. As defined in the guidelines of the State Department of Education, “Extraordinary Learning Ability” is deemed to be the power to learn possessed by the top five percent of the students in a school district.

The Windsor Locks Schools will provide a formalized program for gifted and talented students. These students will benefit from a type of learning experience, in addition to regular instruction, which will appropriately challenge their intellectual abilities. The curriculum will provide for the development of creative thinking and higher mental process skills which aid the assimilation of knowledge and the ability to think independently. This will be accomplished through the development of individual interests in conjunction with the learning styles of the gifted students. Methods and materials appropriate to the topics and abilities of the students will be provided.

In Windsor Locks, the need for programs for the gifted appears to be in the 4-6 range as the secondary schools provide various levels of programming including honors courses for the academically talented. Selected secondary students are sponsored annually to the Talcott Mountain Science Center program for the gifted, this program will reach grades 4-6. Future program expansion will be considered, based on need.

The administration is directed to develop and implement such a program to meet the needs of gifted and talented students. The development of the program will include program goals, screening and identification procedures, administrative design, and evaluation.

Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes 

10-76a-(e) Definitions. 

10-76d-(e) Duties and powers of Boards of Education to provide special education programs and services. Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies Sections 10-76a-1-10-76l-1. 

P.A. 19-184 An Act Concerning the Provision of Special Education. 

Gifted and Talented Education: Guidance Regarding Identification and Service. 

SDE Guidance, March 2019. 

P.A. 21-199 An Act Concerning Various Revisions and Additions to the Statutes Relating to Education and Workforce Development, Section 2. 

Policy Adopted: June 1979 Policy 

Revised: December 8, 2022 

Windsor Locks Board of Education