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District outlines expansion of gifted services, proposes doubling capacity at Highland Junior High
Summary
District staff described a plan to increase gifted teacher endorsements, expand secondary programming and double capacity at the Highland Junior High gifted academy. Presenters said Gilbert identifies about 11.1% of students as gifted and is working to endorse dozens more teachers to support acceleration, enrichment and project‑based learning.
District staff presented a multi-year plan on Sept. 23 to expand gifted and advanced learning services across the Gilbert Unified District, aiming to widen access and build vertical alignment from elementary school through high school.
Assistant Superintendent Jared Ryan introduced Brent Gardner, coordinator of advanced learning, and Jordan Hall, advanced learning specialist, who described training and program changes intended to reach more students and better align services K–12. Gardner told the board that roughly 11.1% of GPS students are currently identified as gifted, compared with the roughly 3% figure typically used to define gifted identification by category. “In Gilbert Public Schools, about 11% of our students qualify for gifted services,” Gardner said.
Staff outlined several steps to expand services: endorse more teachers in gifted instruction, add four additional teachers at Highland Junior High to double the existing gifted academy’s capacity, and build a high‑school pathway that leverages AP and honors courses tied to gifted endorsements.
Jordan Hall described changes to the gifted endorsement course to emphasize application in the classroom rather than only theory. The revised course includes mentorship on campus, training in acceleration for quantitative learners, and modules on depth, complexity, enrichment and project‑based learning for verbal and nonverbal learners. “The course is tailored to teach an application, not just theory,” Hall said.
Presenters said identification processes will remain chiefly test‑based but noted regular screening practices: a districtwide second‑grade cognitive screener, and parent‑requested testing available in the fall and spring. Staff said the district uses a cognitive ability test (COGAT) for identification and that qualifying students generally score in the top percentile in verbal, quantitative or nonverbal domains.
Board members asked how the proposed high‑school cohorting would differ from existing honors and AP offerings. Gardner said the district intends to identify AP and honors sections where teachers will be gifted‑endorsed and to cohort gifted‑identified students into pathways such as AP Seminar and AP Research where appropriate, while preserving elective and extracurricular choices for students.
Questions from the board also covered probationary placement for students near the qualifying cut line, teacher incentives and capacity. Staff said they are embedding endorsement work into teachers’ regular hours where possible and have capped enrollment in the current endorsement cohort to manage mentor resources.
No formal vote was required; board members expressed support and asked staff to continue refining implementation details, including how K–12 records and transition plans will accompany students from elementary into secondary gifted offerings.
