Edgemont's Enhanced Gifted & Talented Programs & Offerings

 

Edgemont Elementary has enhanced its gifted and talented program to more fully meet the needs of each student. This program is available for all students that qualify, K-6, and is a proven way to further develop critical thinking skills. We are now putting even more effort toward significantly improving our services to Gifted & Advanced Learners, making Edgemont a district leader in this important area. Ginny Smith, our new Gifted & Talented Coordinator, is released half time from other duties to more fully oversee, coordinate, teach, and lead our expanded class offerings for Accelerated Students in grades K-6.

 

The gifted and talented program at Edgemont applies appropriate rigor and challenge to every student, allowing certified teachers to accelerate, enrich, and deepen understanding with practical application on an individual basis. 

 

Student Identification

We now utilize an ongoing process of identifying K-6 students enrolled at Edgemont for these programs.  Following the district’s standards for identification of gifted and talented students, we review information from the following sources (some of these assessments are only administered at one or two times each year):

     1.  The Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS)

     2.  The Test of Mathematical Abilities for Gifted Students (TOMAGS)

     3.  The Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) and/or the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA)

     4.  The Naglieri Non-verbal Reading Test (NNAT)

     5.  The Renzulli Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students

In addition to these formal assessments, we consider parental input on the abilities and needs of the student(s), so we invite interested parents to complete The Provo School District Accelerated Learner Parent Input Form.  This form is available to be downloaded by clicking here for the “PSD Accelerated Learner Parent Input form” OR by stopping by our main office.  When completed, this form should be submitted to our main office or to Ginny Smith directly. 

 

Program Descriptions

We offer weekly pullout classes for qualifying students, kindergarten through sixth grade, in the following curricular areas:

     • Math—opportunities for problem-solving and real-life math application, using such resources as Project M3: Mentoring Mathematical Minds series, Math Olympiad, and Challenge Math.

     • Language Arts—using curriculum developed at The Center for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary and the Neag Center for Gifted Education at the University of Connecticut.  Mid-year students will take part in a Writer’s Symposium, as in previous years.

     • Science—inquiry-based science opportunities stemming from grade level science core concepts.

     • Creative Problem-Solving—as the school year continues and other programs are established, CPS classes with a service-learning component will be offered during the school day and/or after school.

 

We also have plans to offer new after school classes that may engage accelerated learners.  Our ability to offer these classes depends on student interest.  Ideas suggested include: Art Academy, Chess Champs, Computer Techies, Creative Writer’s Guild,  Drama program (Shakespeare has been suggested), Go Girls! Club, History Club, Knowledge Bowl, Math Olympiad Club (applied math), Robotics, School Newspaper (published quarterly, and perhaps including a Current Event Bowl), and 1 or more Science Clubs (applied science, with experiments in Environmental Science, Physics, or Biology).

 

For more details on these enhanced Gifted/Talented programs, please contact Ginny Smith at 221-9984, or by email at ginnys@provo.edu.  We look forward to providing these improved and enhanced services for accelerated learners.  Thank you for your help and support!