Gifted Program
Gifted students need advanced and complex content that is paced and sequenced to respond to their intellectual curiosity, exceptional problem-solving abilities, and rapid acquisition and mastery of information. Gifted Education and Talent Development offers resource services from kindergarten through 12th grade for students whose learning needs cannot be entirely met in the general education classroom setting. Minutes and frequency of services vary depending on the grade level. Differentiated classroom services are also provided through collaboration between classroom teachers and the gifted resource teacher.
The identification process is ongoing throughout the school year. A student may be referred at any time by a parent, professional, divisionwide screening tool, or self-referral. PWCS uses a multi-criteria approach to identification. Balanced consideration is given to many factors, including aptitude test scores, academic achievement, parent and professional reports, and student work samples. No single criterion is used to determine a student’s eligibility.
Gifted "Look-Fors" at Home
Gifted students typically demonstrate one or more of the following characteristics, which may be observed at home:
- Curious, questioning attitude
- Keen observer
- Vivid imagination
- Learns quickly
- Sophisticated sense of humor
- Exceptional memory
- Sensitive to human issues, fairness, justice
- Strong communication skills
- Motivated to learn or develop a skill
- Quick to learn a second language
- Intense interests
- Enjoys problem-solving
Gifted referral form - English (PDF)
Gifted referral form – Spanish (PDF)
Please return your completed referral form to Mrs. Morton, the gifted education resource teacher at Signal Hill Elementary School. If you would like a printed copy of the referral form, have questions about gifted services, or need additional information, please contact Mrs. Morton at [email protected].
Additional information about the gifted identification process and gifted services is available on the PWCS Gifted Education website.