Canyon City board hears GATE annual report; department cites 251 students, ‘own the journey’ theme

Shaila, the district’s GATE presenter, told the Canyon City School Board on Oct. 27 that the gifted program now serves 251 students, roughly 8% of the district population, and is operating under the theme “Own the journey.”

Shaila told trustees the theme emphasizes student ownership through goal-setting, decision-making and reflection. She said the department is prioritizing single-subject acceleration to provide “a consistent, equitable way to support advanced learners in specific subjects,” and that the district will host Colorado Department of Education (CDE) staff for the district’s five-year GIFTED Education Monitoring (GEM) visit this year.

The presentation included program metrics and assessment results. Shaila said 54% of identified students are identified for math, with reading making gains. She reported 251 students are on an advanced learning plan with annual goals and progress monitoring. At the high-school level she said 11% of that school’s population is identified gifted; Lincoln had the lowest identification rate among district schools. She also said junior-year results on the district’s college-readiness measures were strong: “All of our high school juniors scored met or exceeds on the RWC for SAT,” and 61% of juniors met or exceeded on the math portion, according to her slides.

Shaila said the program is again planning its Splash event after staff shortages prevented it last year. She also described a recent expansion to bring some “tier 2” students (roughly the 92nd–94th percentile range) back into the program on a case-by-case basis, with reassessment planned at the end of fifth grade to confirm progress.

Board members praised the presentation and the program’s family engagement work. President Reeser and other trustees noted the department’s outreach, including monthly professional development communications to staff and family-facing materials that accompany those messages. Shaila closed by reminding the board of upcoming events tied to the program and thanked trustees for their support.

Shaila gave trustees a written handout with the data she presented and took questions from board members during and after the presentation. She also noted national recognition the team received and that the program had doubled its Advanced Placement scores (3–5) compared with the prior year after changes to AP leadership and outreach.

Board members did not take formal action on the GATE presentation; it was presented for information only.