The Rockcastle County Board of Education received an end-of-year report on the district’s gifted and talented program, during which the coordinator outlined identification methods, services, community partnerships and student activities completed in the 2024–25 school year.

Why it matters: the coordinator said program activities expand enrichment opportunities across grade levels, connect younger students with high school mentors and provide community-facing conservation and heritage projects.

Key points: the coordinator reported 314 identified gifted-and-talented students and 106 primary-talent-pool students (kindergarten–third grade). The district conducted universal screeners for third- and fourth-graders (237 third graders; 191 fourth graders reported) and used TerraNova for specific academic testing, Enview for general intelligence, iReady and KSA data for identification.

The coordinator described services including project-based learning, Kentucky Heritage Day presentations (more than 100 student presenters), environmental lessons, leadership activities, STEM resources (Spheros, 3‑D printers and pens, LEGO), academic competitions (spelling bee and academic team meets) and new clubs such as Y Club and Chick‑fil‑A Leader Academy. She said collaboration with Rockcastle Area Technology/CTE teachers gave students access to 3‑D printers, virtual reality headsets and greenhouse experiences.

Conservation and community projects included building 115 nesting boxes for eastern bluebirds with ag-construction students, a monarch-butterfly awareness project (milkweed seed balls and outreach materials), and participation in community lantern parades. The coordinator said Maywood Nature Reserve environmental days reached approximately 507 elementary students over six days, supported by about 45 high-school student leaders.

The coordinator noted annual reporting responsibilities in Infinite Campus (Gibson Talented service plans, midyear and end-of-year progress reports) and said the program maintains a watch list to retest students who narrowly miss formal identification thresholds.

What's next: goals for 2025–26 include working with administrators on a Kentucky high-school policy, updating the Gibson/Talented handbook, digitizing the universal screener and adding new projects. The coordinator also plans outreach and fundraising to support student field trips.

Ending: board members praised the coordinator’s outreach and community partnerships and thanked staff and volunteers who supported enrichment activities throughout the year.