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Gifted and talented program expands identification and ASU partnership; district sees growing enrollment
Summary
The district reported expanded gifted and talented identification and a strong ASU online partnership, saying identification is rising after expanded screening and referrals and ASU course completion for district students was 94 percent.
Kate Morris, the district's gifted instructional coach, presented an update on identification, testing and accelerated course options for gifted students. Morris said the district separated universal screening (third grade) from referral processes, screened about 298 third graders with CogAT in fall 2024, and moved 49 students on to full cognitive testing; 17 of those were newly identified and added to the gifted roster with more pending on portfolio review.
Morris described an extended referral window for K–2 and grades 4–11 that produced 344 referrals and 219 permissions to test; testing at elementary sites had begun the day of the board meeting. She also said she reviewed IMSa performance to identify potential older students who lacked formal identification and referred 34 students who scored "advanced".
On accelerated coursework, Morris reported ASU Prep partnerships that allowed secondary students (and a few advanced elementary students) to take college‑level online classes on campus with district monitoring and support. The district reported a 94 percent course completion/success rate for students in the ASU program, outperforming a cited average of 82.4 percent. Morris said the district emphasizes a hands‑on monitoring model to support online learners.
Morris described district capacity for gifted case managers (caseload target 35 students per teacher) and projected growth from 106 identified students toward an estimated 141 by May if current testing and portfolios confirm eligibility. She said New Mexico treats gifted as an ongoing identification ("once gifted, always gifted") and that the district plans to complete GIEPs by May 1, 2025. No formal board vote took place on this informational update.
