Gifted & Talented
Gifted and Talented at Peak Expeditionary School
At Peak our gifted & talented (GT) students engage in deeper learning experiences directly connect with our Expeditionary Learning curriculum. We also integrate GT depth & complexity best practices that support meeting the individual needs of gifted learners at our school. Hands on, real world, challenging, meaningful, and adventurous experiences are where we see our gifted students truly shine. We focus on early & equitable identification by using the NNAT3 Kindergarten screener and the 2nd grade COGAT screener to ensure that students are appropriately identified. To meet the unique needs of our gifted learners, our 3 dimensional view of student achievement helps us meet the academic, social/emotional, and next generation work skill needs of our students. We care equally about developing students knowledge & skills, character, and quality work here at Peak. This means that as we develop an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) for a student, goals are balanced and represent developing both strengths and challenges for our GT learners.
Advanced Learning Plan
Peak Expeditionary develops an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) to guide programming for every identified gifted student.
We are supported by JeffCO with a GT Resource Teacher that works directly with teachers to support our GT students. This resource teacher provides targeted professional development to our teachers around current strategies and approaches that are shown to have high impact on the success of GT students. In addition, the resource teacher supports classroom teachers in creating and monitoring the individual affective and academic goals comprising the Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) of each GT student. Finally, the resource teacher provides support around identification and family outreach and communication.
If you would like to speak about GT programming at Peak, please do not hesitate to reach out. Our Assistant Principal who has a strong background in understanding and supporting gifted students, oversees GT at Peak and will be happy to answer questions and connect you with more resources.
Gifted & Talented in Jeffco
The Jeffco Public Schools Gifted and Talented (GT) Department’s vision is to Actualize Learners’ Potential for gifted and high-ability learners through a focus on access, equity, inclusion and diversity. All students deserve an education that provides meaningful growth academically, socially and emotionally.
Each year, every second grader in Jeffco takes The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) which measures reasoning skills with different types of verbal, quantitative and nonverbal questions. The results of this test inform teachers which students may be identified as gifted and talented.
What Is A Gifted Student?
GT students are learners between the ages of four and 21 whose abilities, talents or potential for accomplishment are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special educational programming. Children under five who are gifted may also receive early childhood special educational services.
Gifted students include students from all backgrounds who have exceptional abilities or potential. Gifted students are capable of exceptional performance, production or learning behavior and have one or more of these areas of giftedness:
Areas of giftedness
- Intellectual abilities
- Specific academic skills
- Creative or productive thinking
- Leadership abilities
- Visual arts, performing arts or musical abilities
- Physical skills
The 2024 Fall GT Center application is now closed. Please contact your GT Resource Teacher with questions regarding GT Center.