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District highlights gifted showcase; district says gifted identification rate is 6.12%
Summary
District staff told the board the St. Tammany Parish gifted-and-talented population was 6.12% as of Feb. 1 and described screening practices, teacher autonomy and next-year initiatives following the district’s second annual gifted showcase.
District staff updated the St. Tammany Parish School Board on the district’s gifted program and the second annual gifted showcase during the May 15 meeting, reporting program data and planned outreach initiatives.
“Currently, the state reports the numbers for both programs collectively rather than separately,” Ms. Gardner, a district staff member, told the board. She said the district’s gifted-and-talented student population was 6.12% as of the Feb. 1 count and contrasted that with a 5.37% rate in 2009–10, noting year-to-year comparisons can be misleading for single data points.
Screening and services: Ms. Gardner said Louisiana Act 688 requires screening of second- and third‑grade students who score above grade level on the state literacy screener and that the district exceeds the mandate by screening all second- and third-grade students. “Currently, we use the Naglieri for this purpose,” she said. The district also uses DIBELS for the state literacy screening.
Classroom practice and high-school pathways: gifted teachers receive district tier‑1 curriculum and may scaffold pacing and add approved outside resources, Ms. Gardner said; scheduling is a school‑based decision made with administrators. The staff update noted many high‑school students opt for Advanced Placement or dual-enrollment courses instead of gifted-labeled classes because colleges do not recognize gifted classes for credit.
Showcase and next steps: the second annual gifted showcase brought students and teachers together to present projects, and Ms. Gardner said the district will add a dedicated website, information tables at open houses and continued universal screening next year. She also thanked mental-health staff and described additional outreach including “first aid packets” for parents explaining the gifted program.
Board members asked clarifying questions about screening, coding students who defer services, and how the district will track students who are gifted but take AP or dual-enrollment classes in high school. Ms. Gardner said the district will refine coding in the student information system so gifted students who defer services or who have a primary disability and gifted as a secondary characteristic are captured in district records.
