Extended Learning

Vision Statement:

By 2025, we commit to:

Becoming a district of choice in which to learn, work, and live;
Graduating students who are career and college ready with broad skills;
Passion for life-long learning and continuous improvement; and
Beneficial and collaborative partnerships with strong resources

North Scott Community School District's ELP is a state-approved program staffed by certified teachers. It undergoes regular review and improvement to ensure its alignment with district curriculum standards and Iowa Code.

The Process

Stage 1: Data Collection

ISASP – Any one of the core areas at 80th percentile or above (to ensure equity, minimum of the top 20% of a local elementary school population will be reviewed)

Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Score of 77th percentile (7th stanine) or better in the age scores in Verbal, Quantitative or Nonverbal subtests (administered to all 3rd and 6th grade students yearly)
- Students new to the District in grades 3-6 may be screened, including a CogAT score, if they do not have a score from 3rd grade
- CogAT off-year assessment
Fastbridge Reading and Math Suite

Score of 85th percentile or better in the national norms

Classroom observations (e.g., PETS, KOI)
Referral by teachers (captured on Renzulli-Hartman Scales: learning, creativity, mathematics, motivation, communication, reading) and/or parents, as needed
Informal, small group or one-on-one work with ELP/TAG teachers, as needed
Work samples taking into consideration the unique needs and ways CLED* students demonstrate gifted behaviors, as needed

*CLED - culturally, linguistically, ethnically diverse

Stage 2: Screening

Goal: TAG team attains 10-20% of student population for committee review

NSCSD creates a protected spreadsheet to narrow student population for this stage

Review of mean scores in the following areas:

Verbal: ISASP ELA total, Reading and Writing NSS and percentile, Fastbridge percentile (fall and spring), CogAT Verbal percentile, SAS, and stanine
Quantitative: ISASP Mathematics or Math Total NSS and percentile, Fastbridge percentile (fall and spring), and CogAT Quantitative percentile, SAS, and stanine
Nonverbal: CogAT percentile, SAS, and stanine, and other nonverbal exam percentiles if administered, such as the Naglieri (NNAT)

Other scores TAG Facilitators may review as needed:

Recommendation by teacher, parent, self, counselor or administrator (such as Renzulli-Hartman Scales or GATES)

Other standardized testing and recommendations will be considered if available

Though every attempt is made to properly screen and identify students, students may be brought to a committee of TAG teachers at any time for official review

Stage 3 - Selection

Committee Review

Committee will include TAG teachers, may include TAG Administrator, selected teachers, building principals and counselors
Scores, percentiles, and stanines across measurement tools of identified students are typically in the top 5-10% of the local student population; CogAT standard age scores (SAS) are typically at 128 or above with a stanine of 9, ISASP percentiles are typically 95-99, FAST percentiles are typically 98-99.
Students are identified as gifted in verbal and/or quantitative domains based on data and are provided services according to those needs
The identified population should closely align with the makeup of the building-level and/or district student population
Kindergarten and 2nd grade identification review meetings will begin in January of the year.
3rd grade identification review meetings will begin in November of the year.

Appeals

Building TAG teacher
TAG Coordinator
Building principal
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Superintendent

The following information details North Scott’s Delivery Model for TAG services:

Consultation and Collaboration

Within this model, general education teachers and gifted education teachers collaborate to provide differentiated curriculum for students with gifts and talents within the general education environment primarily in Tier 1 as a part of their specialized intervention services. Collaboration includes co-planning differentiated units and lessons, developing and/or locating pre-assessment tasks, analyzing student needs, researching materials and speakers, and recommending or co-designing methods of evaluation. Services may be direct or indirect, but will ultimately benefit all students, including advanced learners, as we engage in the PLC philosophy and data analysis process.

Resource

The ELP/GT resource room is used for both pull-out programming (below) as well as for individualized programming with students based on their identified areas of need in their Personalized Education Plan (PEP). Identified students will receive services that may include independent studies, enrichment activities, research opportunities, and affective programming. If appropriate, the projects developed during resource time can parallel, supplement, or supplant general education coursework.

Pull-Out Programming Direct Services

Pull-out programming removes students with gifts and talents (often in small groups with similar needs) from the general education setting for specific programming services. Identified students either receive subject-specific programming or cross-curricular instruction, depending on their area(s) of identification. Curriculum is tied to the Iowa Academic Standards and methodology follows best practices in gifted education in accordance with the NAGC Pre-K-Grade 12 Gifted Programming Standards. If appropriate, the learning that occurs in the pull-out setting can parallel, supplement, or supplant general education coursework.

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