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District shifts gifted-program identification, expands AMP and launches Edison magnet site
Summary
District staff told the Salt Lake City School District board on Jan. 21 that it is changing how students are identified for advanced-learning services, shifting testing and moving to domain-specific AMP groupings, while launching a new Edison magnet site and proposing a 5–6 grade split there.
District staff outlined a set of changes to identification and delivery for its elementary advanced-learning programs (AMP) and full‑day magnet offerings during the Jan. 21 Salt Lake City School District board meeting.
Presenters said the district is moving formal CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test) administration so schools will have results at the start of fourth grade by testing at the end of third grade. Staff described the CogAT as measuring reasoning across three domains — verbal, quantitative and nonverbal (spatial) — and emphasized the test is intended to measure thinking skills rather than academic knowledge.
Under the revised AMP identification model, staff said they have shifted from a single static, grade‑long group to three domain‑based groups (verbal, quantitative, nonverbal) and flexible, talent‑development groups. The AMP staffing model remains one 0.5 full‑time‑equivalent (FTE) teacher per elementary school; a 1.0 FTE teacher typically supports AMP at two schools. Staff said the change is intended to tighten services for identified students while widening identification and allowing “open access” talent development when space permits.
Officials said AMP participation currently spans approximately 5–15% of students by grade at each school, with teachers reporting mixed but improving results for demographic matching; the presenters said AMP teachers are working to recruit underserved students and adapt outreach. Presenters said open‑access talent development groups have included activities such as book clubs, storytelling contests and robotics, and gave an example of one teacher who assembled a cross‑grade book group of 16 boys that met regularly.
The district also reported changes to magnet identification and operations. Instead of the prior district‑wide invitation model, staff will invite students to each magnet site based on where they live — Edison, Whittier, or Indian Hills — filling each site to its enrollment cap with a wait list of additional qualifiers. New‑to‑district students will be tested and placed on site wait lists. The change is intended to reduce communication lag and help principals plan classroom assignments earlier.
Edison’s new magnet site was highlighted: staff said 79 students were identified at the site with a 75% participation rate at the time of the presentation (58 enrolled). Because some families expressed concerns about moving a student mid‑middle‑school transition, staff proposed running a combined fifth‑and‑sixth‑grade classroom (a 5–6 split) at Edison to provide continuity and keep the change budget‑neutral under current staffing.
Presenters also discussed inclusion for students with disabilities and multilingual learners, noting the district is working with special education and other student‑support staff to coordinate services so eligible students can receive both ELP/AMP/magnet services and legally required special‑education supports.
Superintendent and board members asked for additional study‑session discussion and acknowledged the presentation warranted more time for detail; board members asked staff to return with data and possible study‑session items for follow‑up. The district did not record any immediate policy changes or formal votes on program design at this meeting.
