Curriculum and Gifted Services
Emily Palmer, Curriculum Director
330-878-5571
curriculum@strasburgtigers.org
Curriculum and Gifted
GIFTED SERVICES
All teachers who have a student with a gifted identification in their content area complete ongoing professional development in gifted instruction to best meet the needs of their students. This allows students to learn with their peers, but receive the differentiation they need to be challenged, yet successful.
Each child with a gifted identification will have a Written Education Plan (WEP). This will detail the child’s gifted identification, goals, and progress. Each year the parent will get a copy.
Each year, as a district, we give a screener test (CogAT) to students in 2nd and 5th grades to determine which students are identified as gifted in superior cognitive and creative thinking. We also use another screener (NWEA MAP) to identify students in grades 2nd-8th who are identified as gifted in reading and math.
Qualifications for each identification:
- Reading & Math: 95th percentile on the NWEA MAP test (or other ODE approved assessment)
- Superior Cognitive: 128 on the CogAT test (or other ODE approved assessment)
- Creative Thinking: 115 on the CogAT test and must meet all the requirements on the creativity checklist
- Reading & Math: To be gifted in math or reading, students have excepțional capability, or potential, in each subject. For example, scoring in the 95th percentile or higher- compared to peers.
- Superior Cognitive: A superior cognitive ID, or intellectual giftedness, is not directed toward specific academic areas, but is defined as a general, overall intelligence.
- Creative Thinking: Students who are gifted in creative thinking are exceptional problem solvers and critical thinkers. They often produce original ideas and/or products.
National Association for Gifted Children: Parent Resource Page
Check out this page for tips and tricks on how to support your child, resources for your child, and much more.
Ohio Association for Gifted Children: Parent Handbook
This is an all-encompassing guide to being a parent of a gifted child
If you have questions about your child’s ability, reach out to your child’s teacher. If you have any questions regarding our gifted services contact our Curriculum Director Emily Palmer at emily.palmer@strasburgtigers.org
ACCELERATION
The practice of educational acceleration at Strasburg is to provide an opportunity for students to transfer into a course that matches the appropriate pace of instruction and level of challenge to their capabilities. Acceleration can also reduce the time period necessary for students to complete traditional schooling. The District uses acceleration strategies in four academic areas:
- Whole grade acceleration: Assigning a student, on a full-time basis, to a higher grade level
- Individual subject acceleration: Assigning a student to a higher grade level for the purpose of providing access to appropriately challenging learning opportunities in one or more subject areas
- Early admission to kindergarten: Admitting a student to kindergarten who has not yet reached the typical age at which students are admitted to kindergarten
- Early high school graduation: Facilitating completion of the high school program in fewer than four years for the purpose of providing earlier than typical access to post-secondary educational opportunities
Any student interested in acceleration should follow this process.
- Complete this form, and email/turn it into the building principal, counselor, or Curriculum Director.
- Student data will be collected by school administration. For subject acceleration, the following data will be collected:
- Most recent screener percentile (This is a test given three times a year in grades 2-8 to see how a student performs on grade-level content)
- Most recent state testing identification/score (OSTs- Ohio State Tests)
- Final grade in that particular subject
- End-of-course exam grade for course wanting to skip
- Nationally-normed ability test (This is the test given in grades 2 and 5 for students to qualify for a gifted identification)
- After all the data is collected, a meeting will be scheduled and held with the student, parents/guardians, and acceleration team (which could include any or all of the following-principal, teachers, guidance counselor, and gifted coordinator) to discuss if acceleration is the best option for the student.
- After the group meets, school administration will send a written decision on acceleration to the parents/guardians.
If the student or parent/guardian does not agree with the decision, he/she must fill out and send this form to the Superintendent within 30 days of receiving the written decision for acceleration. The Superintendent will have 30 days to make his/her final decision.
After the student is accelerated, a Written Acceleration Plan (WAP) will be provided to the parent/guardian and acceleration team detailing the goals, transition period (end of the first quarter), and information specific to the student’s acceleration.
- If you're wondering if acceleration would be a good fit for your child, reach out to his/her teacher.
- If you have any questions regarding scheduling and course options, contact our K-12 Counselor Amy Maurer at amy.maurer@strasburgtigers.org
- If you have any questions about this process, contact our Curriculum Director Emily Palmer at emily.palmer@strasburgtigers.org