Sign up for Chalkbeat Colorado’s free daily newsletter to get the latest reporting from us, plus curated news from other Colorado outlets, delivered to your inbox.
Some Colorado school districts are trying new approaches to identifying gifted children among students of color and other underrepresented groups. Children identified as gifted can get extra attention at school to further develop their skills.
But across the state and the country, big gaps remain, with white students most likely to be identified as gifted.
Here are some basics to help parents navigate what being gifted means.
What does it mean if a child is labeled as gifted or talented?
A student who is gifted or talented is usually identified as being in the top 5% of intelligence and capability of students their age. Giftedness refers more to a student’s capabilities than just their current work. Cognitive IQ tests are one way of identifying gifted students, but districts can also identify students who stand out in other ways. Gifted students may not necessarily excel in their classes — sometimes they are gifted in just one area or skill.
Some gifted students lack social skills and might need additional support, which they can get after being identified.
Do gifted students receive a different education?
Students who are identified as gifted or talented must have an annual advanced learning plan with goals related to their gifted area. Usually the students will stay in their regular classrooms, but teachers may adjust their lessons or pair them with different groups of students throughout the day to address their needs.
Some larger districts such as Denver have magnet programs specifically for highly gifted and talented students. To be identified as highly gifted and talented, Denver officials say students must have a high score on a cognitive test as part of the evidence used to identify them.
Some districts offer opportunities such as summer programming for gifted students or may be more likely to encourage those students to take advanced courses.
What tests or other measures do districts use to identify gifted students?
Every district will have different ways to identify gifted students. Districts offer cognitive tests for universal screening at least at one grade level, usually in elementary school, though some districts also test a middle school grade level. But beyond that, some districts are starting to look at trends in how fast multilingual students learn English, for example.
Districts can use any test data that is normed but the evidence must include more than one test score, and it will often include parent and teacher observations and other student work. Similarly, one bad test score doesn’t mean a student can’t be identified as gifted.
My child’s school asked me to fill out an observation form for the evaluation. What should I expect?
Some districts will ask families to fill out a form about certain behaviors you observe from your child. It is only one piece of evidence the school will use to determine whether your child is gifted or talented.
“I always want to encourage parents that they know their child best,” said Meryl Faulkner, senior manager of gifted and talented for Denver Public Schools. “Their opinion is just as valid” as that of other adults who could observe the child.
Be honest when filling out forms, and ask the school to keep you informed about next steps. In some cases, districts may observe a student and gather data for more than a year before making a determination.
What characteristics do gifted children have?
Students who are gifted are developmentally advanced compared to their peers, but experts say that some characteristics might show up in different ways in students from different cultures.
A young student who is able to translate things like bank statements for an adult might be gifted. Children who learn basic survival instincts and know that they have to say certain things to get food, or to keep their parents from getting in trouble, could also be gifted.
In general, students who are gifted might have a good memory, ask a lot of questions, be very expressive, or be good with patterns.
I think my child might be gifted. What should I do?
Definitely talk to your child’s teacher. Some schools have dedicated gifted coordinators, or there might be someone at the district level who is in charge of testing and identifying gifted students.
Faulkner tells parents that regardless of your teacher’s reaction, it is a parent’s right to have their child evaluated. By law, districts have 30 days to respond to parents once a referral to be evaluated is made with the intended next steps.
If you aren’t having success getting your district to evaluate your child, contact the Colorado Department of Education.
My child has been identified as gifted. How do I support them?
Parents should meet other parents of gifted children to learn more and share experiences and challenges.
Some school districts have support groups, but there are also groups that exist outside of the school districts. The Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented, for example, provides lots of resources in English and Spanish.
Experts say it’s important to stay involved. Schools are supposed to contact you every year when they’re working on your child’s advanced learning plan, but if they don’t reach out, you should reach out to the school. Knowing what goals the school sets for your child can give you more ideas about how to support them.
Can students be gifted and also have a disability?
Yes. Schools refer to these students as twice exceptional. Students with disabilities can also be gifted or talented. They are underrepresented in gifted programs because many educators and schools struggle to identify gifted students who have disabilities.
Yesenia Robles is a reporter for Chalkbeat Colorado covering K-12 school districts and multilingual education. Contact Yesenia at yrobles@chalkbeat.org.
