The goal of Manitou's Exceptional Scholars programming is to search for and recognize talent and strengths in all 6-12 students.
It seeks to recognize those students who demonstrate strengths, talents, and sustained interests that are expressed at a high level and to provide appropriate program options and experiences for students to develop and apply their talents and skills.
Exceptional Scholars Learner Goals
Manitou Springs will equip the ExSP learner to excel, to lead, and to consciously maximize their potential. This includes facilitating learning environments and experiences that allow each learner the opportunity to develop:
Manitou ExSP learners will also be encouraged to seek purposeful, authentic learning tasks through:
It seeks to recognize those students who demonstrate strengths, talents, and sustained interests that are expressed at a high level and to provide appropriate program options and experiences for students to develop and apply their talents and skills.
Exceptional Scholars Learner Goals
Manitou Springs will equip the ExSP learner to excel, to lead, and to consciously maximize their potential. This includes facilitating learning environments and experiences that allow each learner the opportunity to develop:
- Intellectual curiosity
- Critical thinking and reasoning abilities
- Creative, divergent and entrepreneurial thinking skills
- High-level communication and collaboration skills
- The acquisition of knowledge and confidence
Manitou ExSP learners will also be encouraged to seek purposeful, authentic learning tasks through:
- An understanding for systems of knowledge, themes, issues, and problems that frame the external world
- Personal and social responsibility
- Self-understanding, self-awareness, and self-confidence
- A passion for contributing to the future
- Social skills for relating to others and coping effectively in social contexts
- Metacognitive skills that foster independent and self-directed learning
- Appropriate responses to risk, obstacles, and failures
definitions
Manitou's Exceptional Scholars Program (ExSP)
In Manitou, we've branded our GT talent pool the Exceptional Scholars Program, or ExSP. We view talent as the potential for significant contributions or productivity (in original or creative ways) in any domain of inquiry, expression or action over an extended period of time.
Talent denotes the increasingly specialized aptitudes or abilities that develop in youth as a function of general intelligence and experiences at home, school, and the community and from sustained involvement in areas of strong interest or passion. It grows as students develop specific skills, interests, and motivations around those interests.
When talent and expertise unite with creative abilities, the achievement and productivity that mark giftedness become evident.
Talent may be referred to as:
In Manitou, we've branded our GT talent pool the Exceptional Scholars Program, or ExSP. We view talent as the potential for significant contributions or productivity (in original or creative ways) in any domain of inquiry, expression or action over an extended period of time.
Talent denotes the increasingly specialized aptitudes or abilities that develop in youth as a function of general intelligence and experiences at home, school, and the community and from sustained involvement in areas of strong interest or passion. It grows as students develop specific skills, interests, and motivations around those interests.
When talent and expertise unite with creative abilities, the achievement and productivity that mark giftedness become evident.
Talent may be referred to as:
- Strengths and sustained interests to be nurtured
- Strengths that are assessed in qualitative as well as quantitative ways
- Inferences drawn from a person's accomplishments over a sustained period of time (possibly years)
- Behavior that is manifest in diverse and varied ways or styles
- Productivity and a strong sense of involvement or investment, passion, disciplined work, and self-initiated learning
- Metaphor: “collage” rather than “snapshot”
Talent Pool
The body of evidence for some students may not lead to formal gifted identification, but data may demonstrate the student should be included in a “talent pool.”
A talent pool is defined as a group of students who demonstrate an advanced or even exceptional ability in a particular area, but at this time do not meet the criteria for gifted identification. Often students in a talent pool are provided advanced or gifted programming services. As students are presented with additional levels of challenge and rigor, increased achievement may occur. A student may meet the criteria for gifted identification at a later date.
Some students identified gifted in one domain may be part of a talent pool for a different domain. For example, a student who demonstrates a specific academic aptitude in reading as an elementary student may be included in a talent pool for mathematics. Over time, data are reevaluated to determine if this student meets the criteria for specific academic aptitude identification in the area of mathematics. Multipotentiality in gifted students often leads to identification in additional domains later in a child’s educational path.
Students within the talent pool should receive appropriate programming options and/or interventions to address strength or potential areas. A review team may also consider if additional assessments need to be administered to collect additional data and/or continue to review the student’s data over time to determine if gifted identification is appropriate at a later date. Gifted identification should never be just a moment in time during the educational path of a student. Identification is fluid and continuous throughout the school years.
Students whose scores on a screening assessment are lower than the 95th percentile, or whose results on observation or performance assessment screening tools are not at the level to meet identification criteria, may be recommended by the review team for further data collection and observation or for inclusion in a talent pool.
Secondary students who do not meet the specific gifted criteria will be served in the “talent pool” through this program. In addition, any student who is highly motivated to participate in specialized programming in particular interest areas, may refer themselves for ExSP using the forms above.
The body of evidence for some students may not lead to formal gifted identification, but data may demonstrate the student should be included in a “talent pool.”
A talent pool is defined as a group of students who demonstrate an advanced or even exceptional ability in a particular area, but at this time do not meet the criteria for gifted identification. Often students in a talent pool are provided advanced or gifted programming services. As students are presented with additional levels of challenge and rigor, increased achievement may occur. A student may meet the criteria for gifted identification at a later date.
Some students identified gifted in one domain may be part of a talent pool for a different domain. For example, a student who demonstrates a specific academic aptitude in reading as an elementary student may be included in a talent pool for mathematics. Over time, data are reevaluated to determine if this student meets the criteria for specific academic aptitude identification in the area of mathematics. Multipotentiality in gifted students often leads to identification in additional domains later in a child’s educational path.
Students within the talent pool should receive appropriate programming options and/or interventions to address strength or potential areas. A review team may also consider if additional assessments need to be administered to collect additional data and/or continue to review the student’s data over time to determine if gifted identification is appropriate at a later date. Gifted identification should never be just a moment in time during the educational path of a student. Identification is fluid and continuous throughout the school years.
Students whose scores on a screening assessment are lower than the 95th percentile, or whose results on observation or performance assessment screening tools are not at the level to meet identification criteria, may be recommended by the review team for further data collection and observation or for inclusion in a talent pool.
Secondary students who do not meet the specific gifted criteria will be served in the “talent pool” through this program. In addition, any student who is highly motivated to participate in specialized programming in particular interest areas, may refer themselves for ExSP using the forms above.
Definition of Gifted Students
Gifted and Talented students are those students whose abilities, talents, and potential for accomplishment are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special provisions to meet their educational needs.
Gifted and Talented students are capable of high performance, exceptional production, or exceptional learning behavior by virtue of any or a combination of these areas:
Gifted and Talented students are those students whose abilities, talents, and potential for accomplishment are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special provisions to meet their educational needs.
Gifted and Talented students are capable of high performance, exceptional production, or exceptional learning behavior by virtue of any or a combination of these areas:
- General or Specific Intellectual Ability - Intellectual ability is exceptional capability or potential recognized through cognitive processes (e.g., memory, reasoning, rate of learning, spatial reasoning, ability to find and solve problems, ability to manipulate abstract ideas and make connections).
- Specific Academic Aptitude - Specific academic aptitude is exceptional capability or potential in an academic content area(s) (e.g., a strong knowledge base or the ability to ask insightful, pertinent questions within the discipline). All academic areas should be considered.
- Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Musical, Dance or Psychomotor Abilities (Talent Aptitudes) - Visual arts, performing arts, musical, dance or psychomotor abilities are exceptional capabilities or potential in talent areas (e.g., art, drama, music, dance, body awareness, coordination, and physical skills).
- Creative or Productive - Thinking Creative or productive thinking is exceptional capability or potential in mental processes (e.g., critical thinking, creative problem solving, humor, independent/original thinking, and/or products).
- Leadership Abilities - Leadership is the exceptional capability or potential to influence and empower people (e.g., social perceptiveness, visionary ability, communication skills, problem solving, inter and intra-personal skills, and a sense of responsibility).
Definition of Identification
The Exceptional Children's Educational Act (ECEA) defines "identification" as: the assessment process used ... for identifying students who meet the definition specified in section 12.01(16) and for identifying the educational needs of gifted students. 12.02(2)(c)
The Exceptional Children's Educational Act (ECEA) defines "identification" as: the assessment process used ... for identifying students who meet the definition specified in section 12.01(16) and for identifying the educational needs of gifted students. 12.02(2)(c)
Definition of Advanced Learning Plan (ALP)
ECEA Rules defines "Advanced Learning Plan" as: a written record of a gifted student's strengths, academic and affective learning goals and the resulting programming utilized with each gifted child and considered in educational planning and decision making. 12.01(2)
The ALP is a legal document [22-20-R-12.00, C.R.S.] outlining programming for identified gifted students and is used as a guide for educational planning and decision-making. The ECEA states that there will be ALP content and procedures set in Rule for statewide implementation; and that goals in the ALP are standards-based. Sections 12.02(2)(f) – 12.02(2)(g)(vi) of the Rules clarify ALP content, procedures and responsibilities. For high school students, the ALP may be blended with an Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) if all contents of the ALP are inclusive in the ICAP, including achievement and affective goals.
ECEA Rules defines "Advanced Learning Plan" as: a written record of a gifted student's strengths, academic and affective learning goals and the resulting programming utilized with each gifted child and considered in educational planning and decision making. 12.01(2)
The ALP is a legal document [22-20-R-12.00, C.R.S.] outlining programming for identified gifted students and is used as a guide for educational planning and decision-making. The ECEA states that there will be ALP content and procedures set in Rule for statewide implementation; and that goals in the ALP are standards-based. Sections 12.02(2)(f) – 12.02(2)(g)(vi) of the Rules clarify ALP content, procedures and responsibilities. For high school students, the ALP may be blended with an Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) if all contents of the ALP are inclusive in the ICAP, including achievement and affective goals.
Assessment is the process of gathering information using appropriate tests, instruments and techniques. The information is gathered for a specific purpose such as screening, classification or selection, curriculum planning or diagnosis, program planning and progress evaluation.
The purpose of assessment is to gather information relevant to making a decision. The gifted identification process focuses on research-based assessment practices to ensure multiple pathways to identification are available. Not all gifted students demonstrate the same profile of potential and/or ability. Gifted abilities are manifested in a variety of ways; therefore, multiple pathways to identification must be explored through the use of a variety of types and sources of assessment.
Assessment means methods, tools, and data collected as a body of evidence (BOE) for use in identification and programming. [C.R.S. 22-20- 202(5)]
Portability means that a student’s identification in one or more categories of giftedness transfers to any district in the state. Gifted programming must continue according to the receiving district’s programming options. Portability of identification is a part of the student’s permanent record and Advanced Learning Plan and will be transferred with entire student file when requested from another school. When a file is received for a student that transferred into a school within AU, the school will notify their respective gifted educator as soon as possible.
The rule for portability does not apply to students moving into Colorado from another state. However, the receiving school should review the student’s records for evidence of giftedness, and then determine whether additional assessment is necessary to confirm if the student meets Colorado criteria for gifted identification. Districts should also be aware of the parameters within the Military Compact Agreement for identified gifted students moving to Colorado as a result of a military transfer.
The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children created legislation to ease school-to-school transfers for military children. The intent of the Compact is to minimize the disruption in education when a military child is forced to move as a result of a transfer or deployment. The Compact states:
The receiving state school shall initially honor placement of the student in educational programs based on current educational assessments conducted at the school in the sending state or participation/placement in like programs in the sending state. Such programs include, but are not limited to: 1) gifted and talented programs; and 2) English as a second language (ESL). This does not preclude the school in the receiving state from performing subsequent evaluations to ensure appropriate placement of the student.
The rule for portability does not apply to students moving into Colorado from another state. However, the receiving school should review the student’s records for evidence of giftedness, and then determine whether additional assessment is necessary to confirm if the student meets Colorado criteria for gifted identification. Districts should also be aware of the parameters within the Military Compact Agreement for identified gifted students moving to Colorado as a result of a military transfer.
The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children created legislation to ease school-to-school transfers for military children. The intent of the Compact is to minimize the disruption in education when a military child is forced to move as a result of a transfer or deployment. The Compact states:
The receiving state school shall initially honor placement of the student in educational programs based on current educational assessments conducted at the school in the sending state or participation/placement in like programs in the sending state. Such programs include, but are not limited to: 1) gifted and talented programs; and 2) English as a second language (ESL). This does not preclude the school in the receiving state from performing subsequent evaluations to ensure appropriate placement of the student.