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New to the District and Looking for GT Services?
Please complete the new to district intake form to start the process. If you have a student already enrolled in Denver Public Schools, please DO NOT submit this form. If you are looking for the magnet testing application, please scroll down on this page.
New to District Intake Form »Could My Child Be Gifted?
Take the Gifted and Talented quiz »A Short Guide to Giftedness
Click here »Guía de recursos para estudiantes dotados y talentosos
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The window for first round magnet testing is now closed. All applications received after October 12th will be held for the spring testing cycle.
Families may submit the application for spring second round testing. Applications are due on Monday, April 1.
Nominate your child for magnet testing.
The Gifted and Talented team is focused on leading the nation in providing equitable, high impact gifted programming.
We strive to ensure that gifted and talented students are engaged, rigorously challenged and supported to reach their full emotional, intellectual, and creative potential. By equipping students to become successful, critical, compassionate, and collaborative individuals, we are preparing them to become leaders and citizens of the 21st century.
We provide services to gifted/high potential students and their families. Gifted and Talented Services oversees gifted and highly-gifted identification in the district. Gifted identification begins at the school level with the GT teacher and ends with a district level identification team review process. In addition, we support and monitor each schools’ gifted programming in order to support best practice for gifted learners.
Children are gifted when their ability is significantly above the norm for their age. Giftedness may manifest in one or more domains such as; intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership, or in a specific academic field such as language arts, mathematics or science. It is important to note that not all gifted children look or act alike. Giftedness exists in every demographic group and personality type. It is important that adults look hard to discover potential and support gifted children as they reach for their personal best.
Because gifted children are so diverse, not all exhibit all characteristics all of the time. However, there are common characteristics that many gifted individuals share:
Reproduced by permission from: Webb, J., Gore, J., Amend, E., DeVries, A. (2007). A parent’s guide to gifted children.
Profoundly intelligent young people are those with an exceptionally high level of intellectual precocity. While neither exceptionally high nor low intelligence can be determined only in terms of an intelligence quotient, an IQ score can be a useful index for identifying the intellectual potential of an individual by looking at the individual’s “mental age” and comparing it to his/her “chronological age”.
It’s important to also note that, despite many stereotypes, profoundly intelligent young people come from all ethnic groups, races, economic levels, and geographic areas. Like other young people, the profoundly intelligent are unique individuals with varied and multifaceted traits:
While profoundly intelligent children are a diverse group of unique individuals, some of the characteristics they share in common are:
The Davidson Institute
ALL schools in the district are responsible for meeting the needs of identified gifted and talented students. Services range from co-teaching by the gifted education teacher, pull-out programs, cluster grouping for instruction, curriculum compacting, as well as a variety of enrichment opportunities. The gifted education teacher collaborates with classroom teachers in differentiating instruction as appropriate for gifted students, and may implement curriculum materials developed by the Gifted and Talented Department to enrich and extend learning for gifted, talented, and/or advanced students. The gifted education teacher, in collaboration with the classroom teacher, parent and student develop and support the implementation of advanced learning plans which document programming for each individual child.
The Gifted and Talented magnet program provides an educational option for students in grades 1 through 8 to apply for center-based programming at one of the Magnet Program sites. This educational option is provided to address the extreme needs of magnet eligible students that may exhibit exceptional intellectual ability as well unique social and emotional needs. Students benefit from the support provided by a peer group with similar interests and abilities. This program is designed for the top one to two percent of students demonstrating the most extreme needs which cannot be met in a traditional classroom. This program is not specifically designed for students with abilities in the arts, leadership or creativity, although gifted students may also have these strengths.
Click here to see the feeder school list for our magnet sites.
The gifted and talented identification process offers multiple opportunities and pathways for student identification in the following areas:
All gifted identification must be based on a body of evidence, which must include standardized assessments. The development of a body of evidence is an ongoing process that does not require a parental request. The body of evidence must also contain a combination of the following: portfolios of work, rubrics, performance, observations, checklists and/or interviews. All information will be reviewed and evaluated by a highly qualified team to determine the educational needs of the student and the most suitable level of gifted support. Depending on level of need, your child may or may not qualify for gifted services.
This pathway is used to identify students with a demonstrated academic need in one or more of the subject areas below. The student must have over time demonstrated advanced academic abilities beyond grade level to qualify for gifted services for specific academic aptitude.
Students with a cognitive score of 95 percentile or above can follow this pathway for identification in one or more academic areas. Each academic area requires three pieces of supporting evidence for formal identification. Please note that the ability score must be from a school district. Denver Public Schools does not accept private assessments as the sole means of identifying students for gifted services.
Students without a cognitive score of 95 percentile or above can follow the pathway below for identification in one or more academic areas. Academic strengths must be demonstrated over time. Each academic area requires three pieces of supporting evidence for formal identification.
This pathway is used to identify students with a demonstrated talent beyond what is typical for peers of the same age in one or more of the subject areas below. Each talent area requires three pieces of supporting evidence for formal identification.
The general intellectual pathway is used as an exception to the rules for identification outlined above. This pathway is used for students with a cognitive score of 95 percentile or above with no other qualifying achievement or performance data. This pathway is used only in extreme cases. The gifted and talented identification team makes determination of eligibility for this pathway when reviewing the body of evidence for an individual child.
In order to achieve their full potential, gifted students need the support of unique programming designed to meet their needs. This programming may include a variety of different strategies designed to address both the academic and social/ emotional needs of gifted students.
Begin by talking with the gifted teacher or building designee at your child’s DPS school. They will be able to answer your questions about the identification process. See the Identification section for additional information about the required pieces of information needed for gifted identification.
Students may be identified in three categories: Academic Aptitude, Specific Talent Aptitude, or General Intellectual Ability. Academic areas include: reading, writing, math, science, social studies and world language. Talent aptitude encompasses visual and performing arts, music, dance, psychomotor, creativity and leadership. Students may be identified in more than one area. Please visit the identification tab to find out more.
Ability testing allows the student to demonstrate their potential to think and reason in a way that is not captured on grade level achievement tests. It is a critical component for the identification gifted learners because it is a student’s advanced ability that requires accommodations in the classroom.
Cognitive tests are not tests that can or should be studied for. However, should your child participate in testing, you will receive an “Intent to Test” letter prior to the testing date. You can inform your child that the test is taking place and prepare them through adequate sleep and a healthy breakfast.
Watch the NNAT2 PowerPoint presentation here.
The purpose of this presentation is to help parents understand the NNAT2 assessment given to their children in Kindergarten and 2nd grade as part Denver Public Schools universal screening for gifted and talented identification/programming
No. These scores are part of information gathered for a body of evidence. This means that one test score alone does not qualify a child. Please review the identification tab for more information.
GT identified students are those students performing well beyond their age mates and within the top fifth percentile in both ability and achievement areas. GT students require modifications in their academic strength area in order to realize their full potential as well as social and emotional support. These modifications are made together with the GT and classroom teachers at the child’s school of attendance.
Students who are in need of magnet level services (HGT) are students who need full time, intensive services delivered by highly qualified gifted teachers beyond what can be offered at traditional schools. These students comprise 1-3 percent of the total population. HGT students are identified as highly gifted with a cognitive score that is 98%ile or above and a body of evidence that supports the need for full time gifted and talented services.
No. There are Gifted Education teachers in every K-5, K-8 or 6-8 building and GT points of contact at DPS Charter schools who are there to support classroom teachers in making sure your child’s learning needs are addressed. Your child will receive an Advanced Learning Plan each year to support their growth in their area of strength.
Your child only needs to leave his/her school if you feel that his/her needs are not able to be addressed in your current school. You will want to talk with your child to determine if s/he is challenged, learning something new every day, has a group of peers with whom s/he can relate and is generally happy at school. If the answers to these questions are “yes,” there may be no need to make a change. However, if the answer to one or more of these questions is “no,” then you may want to consider “choicing in” to one of the magnet sites. At a magnet site, the teachers have training and experience in working with highly gifted students. The teachers make accommodations in their curriculum for advanced learners and have other students with similar learning needs. Highly gifted students make up only 1-3 percent of the total population so finding like peers and others needing the same level of academic challenge in a traditional school is highly unlikely, which is why DPS offers magnet schools.
No. In order to assure equity of opportunity, the district uses only IQ assessments that have been administered by a school or school district. If you have data from a private assessment you are welcome to submit it as part of a body of evidence, however it cannot be used in place of district-administered qualifying data.
Please submit all documents including any achievement and ability test results from your prior district/state to your school’s GT Teacher or designated point of contact. The Central Identification Team will review all documentation to assure alignment with the state of Colorado’s identification criteria.
If you are in the process of moving to Denver, please reach out to the Gifted and Talented Department for guidance regarding potential placement options for your student.
It is the goal of DPS to provide all of our students with appropriate academic services. When there is a disagreement on matters pertaining to the identification, evaluation and eligibility for gifted services the District Resolution Dispute Process may be initiated.
Written appeals based on one of the following criteria will be considered:
Written appeals must include your name, address, phone number, email, the student’s name, date of birth, school of attendance, and a reason for the appeal based on the above criteria. Appeals must be completed and received in the district office within ten (10) business days following the notification of identification decision. Please send appeals to: Attention: Appeal Review Team Gifted and Talented Department/ 1860 Lincoln Street 8th Floor NE / Denver, CO 80203
All appeals will go before the Appeal Review Team, and you will be notified of the decision by email. The team may contact you for additional information if necessary.
The decision of the Appeal Review Team is final.
There are many wonderful resources for families to learn more about giftedness and supporting your child. These links are provided as a source of general information on giftedness. Please note this is not an exhaustive list and many additional resources are available.
Please click the link below for a detailed description of academic terms related to gifted education: Glossary of Gifted Terms
Gifted and talented children are students whose demonstrated abilities, talents and/or potential for accomplishment are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special provisions to meet their educational needs. These students perform, or show the potential of performing, at remarkably high levels in general intellectual ability, specific academic aptitude or specific talent aptitude when compared with others of their age and experience. Gifted and talented children are present in all student groups, regardless of gender, disability, English language proficiency, economic status, ethnic or cultural background.
Gifted and talented children in DPS are students whose demonstrated abilities, talents and/or potential for accomplishment are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special provisions to meet their educational needs. These students perform, or show the potential of performing, at remarkably high levels in general intellectual ability, specific academic aptitude or specific talent aptitude when compared with others of their age and experience. Gifted and talented children are present in all student groups, regardless of gender, disability, English language proficiency, economic status, ethnic or cultural background.
More Resources
Published December 21, 2016
2018 GT Family EventsCheck back to see what the GT department has planned for GT Family Nights in 2018! These are led by our high school GT students, and each session will focus on a point of advocacy, a learning session for parents, and a fun service learning activity for all.
Read More »Published December 21, 2016
Advanced Kindergarten UpdateBeginning in 2018-19, DPS will no longer offer the Advanced Kindergarten (ADK) program. Instead, we will work to expand the opportunity for all kindergarten students to access advanced learning through all of our kindergarten classes, across the district. In order to expand access for all students, we will be eliminating the testing process by
Read More »Published December 10, 2015
DPS is excited to share that in order to expand access to more students, we are eliminating the testing process to enter into a handful of Advanced Kindergarten classrooms. Kindergarten teachers district wide will receive professional learning opportunities to strengthen their skills at differentiating to meet the needs of all learners in their classroom. Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year, DPS will no longer designate eight specific schools to serve advanced students. This will provide more opportunity for families of advanced students to find a school which is a good fit for their student.
As a parent of an advanced learner who is looking for possible school options for your child, there are several questions which can help you gain more information about individual schools philosophies and whether it will be a good fit for your child. It is always important to visit schools and ask questions!
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