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Gifted-services coordinator highlights strong growth but flags identification gap
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Summary
Todd Stanley told the board the district exceeded the gifted performance threshold and achieved top growth on the gifted-added measure but missed the identification-and-service criterion by one percentage point; the district will begin counting AP courses as gifted service to add credits.
Todd Stanley, the district gifted services coordinator, told the Pickerington Local Board of Education the district's gifted program continues to show strong learning growth but faces an identification-and-service shortfall.
Stanley said the district's gifted performance index was 121 (above the required 118) and the gifted-added growth measure scored a 5, a top value indicating strong year-over-year growth for identified students. "We are at the 121 there," Stanley said, also noting, "This year this past year, we got a 5. So we're very happy with that."
At the same time, Stanley said the district missed the identification-and-service threshold by one percentage point (79 percent, where 80 percent is passing). To address the gap he said the district has started counting Advanced Placement (AP) courses and other programs (Project Lead the Way, College Credit Plus) as gifted service at the high school level — an adjustment he estimated would add about 655 service credits for students.
Stanley described compliance steps the department takes: ensuring every identified student has a written education plan (WEP) with measurable goals, verifying teacher qualifications, providing professional development and working with Jim Campbell's EMIS team to enter data correctly. He also described elementary-level changes — math clusters and math-plus acceleration — and said early evidence showed measurable I-Ready gains for students placed in clusters.
Board members praised Stanley's parent-engagement work, including a monthly gifted-parent book chat and YouTube resources, and asked follow-up questions about twice-exceptional students and supports for executive functioning. The board encouraged staff to continue outreach and to provide recommended resources to parents.
What happens next: Administration will continue to implement counting AP as gifted service and to monitor whether that closes the 1-point service gap before required reporting deadlines.
