Granite School District provides differentiated educational experiences and programs based on individual student needs. Gifted & Talented programs address the academic and emotional needs of students that have advanced content knowledge and skills, and/or show evidence of extraordinary ability in one or more specific disciplines.
How do refer my child for Gifted & Talented testing?
If your child displays the following characteristics to a high degree, you may want to recommend your child for testing:
- Has quick mastery and recall of information
- Has unusually advanced vocabulary for age
- Has rapid insights into cause-effect relationships
- Reads a great deal on their own and comprehends at advanced levels for age
To recommend your student for assessment for gifted and talented services, please contact your neighborhood school’s gifted facilitator or main office. For more information contact the district’s Advanced Learning office at 385-646-4620.
What kind of test would my child take?
From October through March, high-ability students in grades K-6 are given the Cognitive Abilities Test, which compares the student’s cognitive abilities to a nationally normed group of the same age level.
Fifth and sixth grade students entering junior high will be administered the SAGES – 2 (Screening Assessment for Gifted Elementary and Secondary) and the Cognitive Abilities Test.
Students in grades K-2 are tested in January and February and are screened using the DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy). Those who score high enough on the screening will be administered a Reading Inventory Test and the verbal and nonverbal sections of the Cognitive Abilities Test.
What’s the testing window?
The testing window is October 8 – December 7, 2018, for grades 3-5 and students entering junior high. Kindergarten through second grade will be tested January 7 through March 8, 2019. Some students may have been assessed in a previous year. It is not necessary to re-assess a student once they have been evaluated.
From these assessments, district staff will determine those students who qualify for a placement in the Advanced Learning Center program and/or placement in the Gifted & Talented cluster units at the student’s neighborhood school. All testing will take place in the neighborhood schools.
Advanced Learning Center Programs are located at the following schools:
- Fox Hills Elementary (3775 W. 6020 South) – Grades 1-6
- Morningside Elementary (4170 S. 3000 East) – Grades 1-5
- West Valley STEM Elementary (6049 W. 3100 South) – Grades 1-4
- Woodstock Elementary (6015 S. 1300 East) – Grades 1-4
- West Kearns Elementary (4900 S. 4620 West) – Advanced Learning Spanish Dual Language Immersion for Grades 1-6 (Students who wish to test after 1st grade must be current Spanish speakers)
Please note that your student will be considered for placement at the Advanced Learning Center in your elementary school network feeder pattern, and busing will be provided. Additional information can be found on the Gifted and Talented webpage.