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GATE coordinator flags decline in state-identified gifted students and outlines outreach and testing changes
Summary
The district’s new gifted and talented coordinator reported a small decline in the number of state‑identified gifted students among pupils in poverty and ethnically diverse groups, described expanded testing and exposure strategies, and outlined teacher training and parent resources to identify more students earlier.
Amanda Wilkins, the district’s newly appointed gifted and talented (GATE) coordinator, told the board April 14 that Dorchester County School District 2 has experienced a small decline in state‑identified gifted students across several demographic groups and outlined steps to increase identification and service delivery.
Wilkins said the district projects and measures number of state‑identified gifted students in categories used in the strategic plan and reported the district did not meet its goals this year for pupils in poverty (projected 1,385; actual 1,355) and ethnically diverse students (projected 1,264; actual 1,261). She also said the district is seeing an overall downward trend in state identification that mirrors wider regional and national patterns.
Wilkins described a three‑part approach (education, exposure and reform): expand early exposure to higher‑order thinking in K–1 programs, provide more testing opportunities (CogAT to all second graders plus additional spring and summer testing for new students), and refine intake and reevaluation practices (including uploading GPAs to streamline identification at the end of fifth grade). She emphasized teacher professional development on questioning, problem solving and use of assessment reports from the CogAT system to better tailor instruction.
Wilkins said the district will add parent information nights and online resources to help families interpret assessment reports and support higher‑level questioning at home. She noted a new parent education and outreach plan for fall registration that would clarify testing options and explain what gifted services mean for individual students.
Board members asked for follow‑up data and implementation updates. Wilkins said she is reviewing models used by other South Carolina districts and will return with progress reports and recommendations on outreach, testing windows and resource needs.
