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District outlines TAG program review, expands identification to second and fourth grades
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Summary
District gifted (TAG) staff reported results from a district program review, new Looker Studio identification tool, and a shift to identifying students by area of strength and earlier grade-level screening.
The Dallas Center-Grimes district presented an update March 31 on its talented and gifted (TAG) program, describing a year-long program review, new data tools and changes to identification that administrators said will expand services.
Dr. Kerenza (TAG oversight) and the TAG team credited a partnership with Heartland AEA for the GSAP (gifted self-audit and planner) process used this school year. TAG staff said they assembled an interdisciplinary team, conducted three half-day work sessions, and administered a parent forum to collect feedback.
The district introduced a data dashboard the team calls the "Looker Studio," which aggregates assessment data (FAST, COGAT, ISASP) across two years and produces a mean and standard-deviation-based view to identify students whose performance falls outside the core instruction mean. Team members said the tool reduced manual data work and improved identification speed.
Identification and programming changes
TAG staff said they changed the identification approach to permit qualification based on strength areas (reading or math) rather than requiring qualification in both areas. They also shifted screening to include second- and fourth-grade assessments (previously third grade), a change administrators said helps identify students earlier and those whose reasoning skills are not dependent on reading level.
The team reported it had added staffing capacity (approximately 4 FTE TAG teachers after recent hires) and described Wednesday PLC collaboration time, flex days for teacher support, and examples of TAG services such as clustered ninth-grade science and co-teaching at the high school.
Numbers and next steps
When asked during the meeting, the TAG team cited roughly 299 students on its rosters after the identification expansions. The team described priorities for 2024–25: finalize measurable department goals, refine identification documentation, expand acceleration documentation, and require TAG professional development that meets Iowa code expectations.
Ending
Board members asked for follow-up on parent engagement and continuing improvement; TAG staff said they would develop parent-facing sessions and return with progress updates.
