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District says state accepted gifted program plan; 17 students currently served
Summary
Tularosa staff told the board they submitted a two-year gifted program plan that the state accepted; the district reported 17 students receiving services, a small talent pool and new universal screening for third graders.
Tularosa staff told the school board the districtgifted program plan has been submitted to the state and accepted pending a formal review. "We got that turned in. It was accepted by the state," presenter Mr. Rayburn said, adding that the state's full evaluation may not be completed until May.
The plan is written as a two-year "living document," Rayburn said, designed to set policies and procedures for identifying and serving gifted students. He described two referral pathways: a new universal screening given to third graders and a nomination process that will be open to teachers, administrators and parents in future cycles. Rayburn reported that 17 students currently receive gifted services and two are in a "talent pool" that receives limited services while under observation.
Why it matters: The screening and referral changes expand the districtidentification pipeline and could increase the number of students eligible for services in coming years, affecting staffing and program resources.
Details and next steps: Rayburn said the universal screening administered in February produced several referrals "we're working through the referral process" and that the district had started the year with 12 identified students and has since grown the program. He described classroom- and student-led enrichment projects tied to the program, including SAT-prep for juniors, a student-created bird-watching website, 3D-printing projects and applied lessons that connect middle-school probability work to hands-on activities. Rayburn said he does not plan to present monthly but will return periodically with program updates as the state finishes its review.
The board asked questions about how students move from screening to eligibility and how parent nominations will be handled; Rayburn said the district will expand nomination windows in the future and proceed with additional evaluations for students flagged by universal screening. The state review timeline and any required plan revisions will determine when services or procedures change further.
