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Parkway presents Mosaics gifted-program review, recommends staff increases and equity fixes
Summary
The district's gifted-program evaluation found strengths in curriculum and engagement but flagged inconsistent staffing and identification equity; recommendations included a new mission and vision, universal screening changes, an enrichment plan, and staffing increases for testing and counseling support.
Molly Glazers, lead for Parkway's gifted program, presented a multi-part evaluation of the district's Mosaics program at the April 15 board meeting and recommended steps to improve equity, identification and staffing.
Glazers said about 11% of Parkway students—approximately 1,800—are identified and participate in gifted services. The evaluation highlighted strengths, including engaging, flexible curriculum and strong teacher collaboration. Areas for growth included inconsistent staffing (some schools have full-time gifted specialists while others use split roles), uneven resources across buildings, the need for consistent social-emotional learning time in gifted instruction, and equity concerns stemming from DESE screening guidance and identification practices.
Recommendations included a new mission and vision statement for Parkway Mosaics aligned to district goals; a proposed enrichment program to reach students who narrowly miss identification; forming a committee to research middle-school scheduling and best practices; more consistent screening and assessment options (including a possible kindergarten creativity screener), and additional staffing such as a full-time gifted specialist in every elementary school, another district psychometrist to reduce testing wait times, and improved counseling supports for transitions.
Board members praised the program's positive outcomes and asked about longitudinal tracking of graduates; Glazers said the evaluation included survey follow-ups with recent graduates but that the district has not yet implemented full long-term outcome tracking and suggested it as a future priority. The board did not take any formal action to adopt the recommendations during the meeting.
