Gifted & Talented ID

Mission Statement, Definition of Giftedness, Program Goals

Washington Township Gifted and Talented 3-5 Program
Identification Information

The Gifted and Talented program is designed to meet the needs of those students who require an extension to the differentiated curriculum in an environment that addresses their unique learning styles. We strive to accomplish this through providing a rigorous program of studies which includes: challenging, relevant content requiring higher order thinking skills; a focus on the development of independent study; a supportive environment conducive to risk-taking; opportunities for creative expression and problem solving; and collaboration with other students of similar abilities.

​The state of NJ defines gifted children as those students who possess or demonstrate high levels of ability in one or more content areas when compared to their chronological peers in the local district and who require modification of their educational program if they are to achieve in accordance with their capabilities.

Admission to our program is based on several criteria including test scores and teacher observation. We have developed a 'Weighted Rubric" system in order to fairly assess and consider all students. Each year, every 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade student is evaluated using the rubric.
Students may qualify into our program in 3 areas: Quantitative (math strengths), Verbal (reading and writing strengths), and/or Nonverbal (creative strengths, spatial and pattern recognition, visual perception and reasoning). We evaluate using multiple measures, which include, but are not limited to: CogAT, MAP, NJSLA, Torrance Test of Creative Thinking, independent tasks, collaborative tasks, writing prompts, Continental Math League, National Science League, and teacher/parent observations recorded on the SIGS. Once the appropriate rubric has been applied to the student, we can determine the need for Gifted and Talented services.

K-2 Push-In and Pull-Out Enrichment Information

In Washington Township, we are committed to ensuring that our higher-level learners are challenged every day. In addition to our pull-out program, we provide a 'push-in enrichment' experience. A Gifted and Talented teacher will visit each K-2 classroom a few times throughout the year to present a higher-level learning or creativity experience. The lesson will be differentiated based on ability and interest level. The push-in program provides an opportunity for students to utilize their potential gifts and talents, and gives teachers an opportunity to see students in different learning situations. It is also a chance to model various differentiation techniques, so the classroom teachers are exposed to new ideas for challenging their gifted (and all) students. The Gifted and Talented teachers are available to provide resources to the classroom teachers so they can effectively differentiate for these students.

We also offer an Primary Enrichment pull out program for grades K-2. This is a flexible program in which students who may be in need of more of a challenge on a given skill, and/or who need a smaller group of similar-level students to collaborate with, will meet each week for a half-hour to work with advanced materials. Participation in this group in no way guarantees admission to the Gifted and Talented program in third grade. ​ The program is designed for students who are ready for some very challenging activities that allow them to think on a high level. Some children may start in the group, and discover that it isn't the right 'fit' for them, and that is totally fine. In no way does it indicate that the student is not capable of higher level work, just maybe not the pace and level that this group is grappling with.

Watchlist: Some students may be demonstrating signs of giftedness but don't quite have enough points on our rubric to qualify. These students may be very bright, hard workers, but may or may not require Gifted and Talented to meet their learning needs. For any student who is placed on our 'watchlist', we have asked the classroom teacher to collect any evidence of gifted behavior and keep notes on the student to help us determine if there is a need for Gifted and Talented services in the future. The watchlist students have also been invited to attend recess in the Gifted and Talented room, which is an opportunity to visit our room on an assigned day for free exploration time (strategy games, puzzles, building, etc...). You do not need any special supplies for Gifted and Talented Recess Time.

Identification Resources/Forms

Gifted and Talented Grades 3-5 Identification Criteria

K-2 Enrichment Identification Rubrics