District data show ALPS participation linked to stronger growth; board asked to add staffing options to budget work
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Summary
Presenters told the board that students enrolled in ALPS show higher year‑to‑year growth (median growth percentiles in 60s–70s) and higher ACT averages, and staff outlined cost models for adding gifted‑and‑talented specialists at elementary schools (full‑time: ~$4.2M). A trustee asked that those options be included as a line item in upcoming budget work.
District leaders returned to the board with a follow‑up presentation on gifted and talented programming and options to expand services after trustees asked for more data in January.
Rebecca Smith and the district’s gifted‑program team summarized universal CogAT screening (sixth grade universal testing) and placement data showing many qualifying students are not enrolled in ALPS. Brooke Anderson, the district data scientist, presented quantitative comparisons showing that qualifying students who participate in ALPS demonstrate higher year‑to‑year growth — particularly in science — and that the same cohort later posts higher average ACT scores than comparable qualifying students who do not enroll. Anderson described median growth percentiles generally in the 60s and 70s for high‑IQ students and said the participation gap is frequently related to proximity and transportation barriers.
Cost models and options: Rebecca Smith outlined staffing scenarios and estimated costs: a full‑time gifted specialist in every elementary school would cost about $4,200,000; a half‑time specialist plan would be about $2,100,000; a quarter‑time model would be a bit over $1,000,000. She also described a lower‑cost ‘advocate’ stipend model (~$120,000 aggregate) in which in‑building staff receive training and serve as a point of contact.
Board response and next steps: Trustees discussed equity concerns (transportation and socioeconomic gaps), the difference between offering services at every school versus duplicating a full‑day ALPS magnet, and workforce logistics for phased hiring. A trustee requested that Mister Larson include the gift‑and‑talented options as a line item in upcoming budget work so members could evaluate alternatives in budget scenarios.
Direct quote: "One specialist per school would be about $4,200,000," Rebecca Smith said when presenting the district cost estimate. The board asked staff to return budget scenarios showing phased implementation options and associated supports, including transportation considerations.
Why it matters: The discussion addresses access to advanced‑learning services across the district and will affect budgeting and district resource allocations in the next budget cycle.
