Primary Talent Pool

The Primary Talent Pool is a program for primary students identified as being high potential learners.  High potential learners come from the top fourth of the entire student population in terms of achievement and frequently require special enrichment opportunities to remain educationally challenged.  They often exhibit one or more characteristics of gifted students, and gifted students represent the top five percent of this group.  However, under state regulations, students are not formally identified as gifted until they have completed the Primary program.  The purpose of the Primary Talent Pool is to provide appropriate enrichment opportunities for these students within the overall framework of the Primary Program.

Students are identified as “high potential learners” using multiple sources of evidence including such things as:

Work samples and collections of student work across time

• Anecdotal records

• Continuous progress data

• Available formal test data

• Parent interview or questionnaire

• Behavior checklists

 Identification is informal which means that formal test data is not used to exclude or deny services to a student.  Formal test data may be used, however, to confirm or diagnose a student’s potential.

Identification and placement decisions are made by the Primary Talent Pool Placement Committee composed of the principal, the guidance counselor, regular and special education teachers, the gifted education resource teacher, and the district gifted education coordinator.   The committee engages in on-going screening of the student population, and students are added to the program as need for services is documented.  Parents are welcome to nominate their children for consideration by completing a nomination form available from the guidance counselor.

Parent permission for placement in the Talent Pool is required.  Parents may withdraw permission at any time by filing a written request using forms provided by the school.

Parents who disagree with the finding of the Primary Talent Pool Placement Committee may appeal for reconsideration by filing a written request with the Gifted Education Coordinator.  Additional assessment of the child’s strengths and weaknesses will be required.

Service delivery options used depend upon the student’s needs.  Options include such things as:

• Differentiated experiences within the regular classroom

• Collaborative teaching and consultation services

• Distance learning

• Independent study

• Enrichment services during the school day

• Seminars

• Cluster groups

• Mentorships

• Curriculum compacting

• Early exit from the Primary program

 Students may be identified informally as having high potential in any of these areas:  general intellectual ability, specific academic areas (reading/language arts, math, science, and social studies), creative and divergent thinking, leadership, and visual and performing arts.

Parents interested in learning more about the Talent Pool should contact the elementary counselor, Erin Alred or the Gifted Education Coordinator, Jennifer Parsons.