Kinnelon School District outlines GOAL program, nomination and testing process for elementary students

Kate Talbot, the GOAL teacher who works at Stony Brook and Keel elementary schools, presented an overview of the district’s GOAL program (Gifted Opportunities for Advanced Learners) and answered parents’ questions about nominations, testing and scheduling.

Talbot said GOAL aims to "create an environment where GOAL students can feel challenged" while also meeting students’ emotional and cognitive needs. "GOAL actually stands for Gifted Opportunities for Advanced Learners," she said, adding that the program uses theme‑based, cross‑curricular lessons and open‑ended projects so students learn through questioning and experimentation rather than rote worksheets.

The program mixes formats and durations: Talbot said some activities last 10 minutes while others run 40 minutes or more, and students may work individually or in small groups. She described hands‑on, sometimes messy lessons and said projects are designed to let students make and learn from mistakes without creating undue anxiety.

Schedule and grade structure vary by school and grade. Talbot told parents she "pushes in" for six‑week enrichment blocks in kindergarten and first grade to expose all students to enrichment in the classroom. At second grade the district runs a weekly 50‑minute pull‑out for identified GOAL students; at Stony Brook, third through fifth graders attend an 80‑minute weekly pull‑out that allows for longer projects and presentations.

On nominations and testing, staff said families and teachers may nominate students. A form will be distributed the next day and the district set a return deadline of Oct. 30. Talbot said nomination alone "does not automatically qualify the student"; nominees are reviewed and then invited to test.

The district will use a multi‑step identification process that begins with baseline assessment data in English language arts and mathematics to identify candidates, then invites selected students to take the CogAT assessment. The CogAT testing, administered over three days during school, covers verbal, quantitative and nonverbal reasoning. Administrators described the process as looking at "the whole child" rather than relying solely on a single cutoff score.

Administrators clarified placement and continuity: once a student is admitted the district does not require annual retesting to remain in GOAL, though the district maintains an annual opportunity for newly eligible students to be admitted after the second‑grade testing window. On notifications, staff said families will be informed at each step and that the district has shifted from traditional mail to email for many notices. "So we will notify through each step in the process," the principal said.

Parents asked practical questions about scheduling conflicts, make‑up testing and whether documentation from a prior district would be accepted; staff said the district will review previous test records and does not generally require re‑testing if a family provides prior assessment paperwork that meets district cutoffs. Staff also encouraged parents to submit nominations even if a teacher indicates interest, so the district has the information it needs to consider a student.

District staff closed by reminding families to return nomination forms by the posted deadline and to contact the school or central office with follow‑up questions. The next procedural steps are the distribution of the nomination form (staff said it would be sent the following day), the nomination deadline of Oct. 30, and CogAT testing during the district's scheduled assessment window.