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District presents revamped TAG plan, proposes COGAT screening and tiered supports
Summary
Presenters and district TAG staff described an audit-driven redefinition of the Atlantic Comm School District's gifted-and-talented (TAG) program, proposed districtwide data walls and a two-stage COGAT screener for 4th and 7th grades, and outlined tiered pullout and in-class supports to better identify twice-exceptional and English-learner students.
Presenters from the district's TAG team briefed the Atlantic Comm School District board on revisions to the district's gifted-and-talented program, saying the work grew out of a recent audit and new state requirements.
The presenters said they contracted with a statewide AEA representative to audit the program and that the review led to a narrower, academically focused definition: gifted and talented students will be identified on demonstrated high performance in mathematics or reading and ‘‘require learning opportunities beyond the general curriculum to fully develop their abilities.’’ The presenters said that definition better aligns the district with recently passed Iowa legislation and reduces the need to rework plans later.
District staff described two core goals: to create an objective, equitable identification process and to ensure identified students receive extended learning opportunities. The TAG coordinator said the district will move to a tiered service model aimed at matching supports to need: tier 1 supports in-class differentiation, tier 2 targeted teacher support and monitoring, and tier 3 pullout services when students need instruction beyond the classroom.
Staff proposed adding COGAT screening for all 4th- and 7th-grade students as a two-phase process: an initial screener for the entire cohort followed by the full battery for students who meet the screener threshold. The presenters said the COGAT (referred to in the transcript with variant spellings) measures reasoning and how students think rather than content knowledge, and that combining multiple data sources will help identify students who might otherwise be missed, including twice-exceptional learners and English-language learners.
They also described building a districtwide data wall to centralize student data and support fair, consistent identification across buildings — a change the presenters said would reduce reliance on building-level spreadsheets and ad-hoc recommendations. The presenters said additional policy and teacher recommendation forms are being revised and that further work will take place over the summer to prepare for implementation next school year.
Board members asked whether the program would be a pullout service; presenters said the model will include both pullout and classroom-based strategies and that the TAG coordinator will provide resources and support to classroom teachers. They also noted the state requires an acceleration plan by the start of next year and that the district will prepare options for students already performing at the top levels.
The presenters closed by inviting questions and offering follow-up by email.
