Some students have unique academic needs above and beyond what a general education teacher can provide. In those cases, the West Ada School District provides specially designed content and environments for students identified as gifted and talented. Rather than accelerating a child to the next grade level, we focus on deep understanding and complex learning in their own grade level. 

For a comprehensive overview of supports, identification procedures, and resources related to the Gifted and Talented Program in West Ada, click below for our GT Community Handbook.

Identification

Gifted services for students who need it can begin as early as kindergarten, and continue through eighth grade. Please note that data collection for younger students (K-1st) looks a little different and may take more time. Gifted students in high school are often served in AP classes or magnet schools such as Renaissance and IFAA.

For most gifted students, academic data will alert GT staff regarding their potential need for GT services. However, teachers and parents may use the referral forms below to assist with the process. Facilitators will conduct individual or small group testing, and once these testing data are gathered, they will be combined with referrals to paint a qualitative and quantitative picture of each student’s needs.  

For gifted students moving from another district, most previous identifications of gifted students are accepted. Identification paperwork, referrals, test results, etc. will help the team determine the best placement for the student.  

Supports and Services

GT services are currently provided through individualized High Ability Plans (HAP's) GT Facilitators create using a team-based approach.

We are excited to announce the expansion of GT services at more home boundary schools beginning fall 2024 at 8 on-site service schools. These sites are Ustick, Peregrine, Star Elementary, Andrus, Eagle Elementary, Eagle Hills, Galileo, and Seven Oaks. These schools will receive direct services from GT-trained Facilitators.

The remaining elementary schools will continue to provide current GT services, including Pull-out (with busing) and Contained.

GT Contained service will continue to be an option for gifted students who qualify and are interested. GT Contained service includes GT-identified students grouped with other students to allow for balance in class sizes across each grade level.

Our pullout sites provide once a week service where students are bused to one of four nearby schools, from approximately 9:30-1:30. During this time, students work on units and projects aligned to standards that allow for creativity, collaboration, and interaction with other gifted students.  For the 2024-2025 school year, these schools are Frontier, Lake Hazel, Chaparral, and Willow Creek.

Students previously served at the Andrus pullout center will receive services in their home boundary schools, including pullout on site.

No matter where GT students are served, teachers have access to continuous professional development on best practices in gifted education (and many have earned an additional GT teaching endorsement). Whether in pullout or contained, students continue to participate in recess, etc. with grade level peers.  

With questions about any of these services, or to submit a copy of testing results from another district, e-mail them to the GT Coordinator, Jenny Mundy-Castle, at mundy-castle.jenny@westada.org.  

With questions about the referral process, please contact the West Ada School District GT Consultant, Leah Thayer, at thayer.leah@westada.org. 

GT Family Support

Parenting a gifted child can be complex. Below are some resources discussing common issues and needs.  

Parent Resource Library from the Davidson Institute 

Common Traits of GIfted Children from Crushing Tall Poppies, a GT blog  

30 Tips for Parents of Gifted Kids from Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth 

Bright Now Blog, A blog about educating and parents bright and curious kids (includes a great archive) 

Bright Now Podcast 

Gifted Resources for Parents a slide presentation with useful web and book recommendations 

Hoagie's Gifted Parent Resources 

How to Help Your Perfectionist Kid an article from the New York Times  

Postive Relationships with Your Child's Educators from the Davidson Institute 

Parent Information

About Gifted Children

The Gifted Development Center summarized the results of a 23-year study in which they conducted 4,200 gifted/talented assessments. Their findings include:   

• There are more exceptionally gifted children in the population than anyone realizes. 

• Mildly, moderately, highly, exceptionally, and profoundly gifted children are as different from each other as are other identified subgroups.

• but the differences among levels of giftedness are rarely recognized. 

• Parents are excellent identifiers of giftedness in their children. 

• Over 60 percent of gifted children are introverted compared with 30 percent of the general population. Over 75 percent of highly gifted children are introverted. 

• Giftedness is not elitist: it cuts across all socioeconomic groups. 

• Children who are gifted develop in asynchronous ways, so they often feel out-of-sync with age peers and with age-based school expectations.