Identified Student Needs:  Programming and Services

Depending upon a student’s abilities and needs as evaluated by the GALP screening committee at the identification stage, one of four options are communicated to home schools and parents/guardians for further nurturing each student’s intellectual strengths and meeting intellectual and social/emotional needs as they relate to school success. These four options are:

1. Student shows talent potential in one or more content areas. While the student’s needs are currently being met successfully in his/her classroom, other enrichment activities and programming opportunities (i.e., History Day, Battle of the Books, Chess Club, Math Stars, Saturday Institute) are offered to further develop the student’s specific emerging skills and talents.
2. Student has one or several curricular areas needs for which a differentiated curriculum is determined to be beneficial. This curriculum is delivered by the classroom teacher, with resources and support offered by the building GALP consultant.  Depending upon administrative leadership within each building, staffing resources and teacher strengths, building philosophy of programming and the like, these needs may be met in one or a combination of ways (7c). The student is also offered building and district-wide enrichment activities and programming opportunities. Regarding the student’s social and emotional  well-being, individual or group work with the school counselor may by recommended for students who have needs (anxiety, perfectionism, insufficient social skills, and the like) which are affecting school success.
3. Student has one or more areas of need that may require a variety of in class curricular options, or may require further assessment for consideration of a combination of in-class and accelerated class options. Student may leave the classroom to take one or more content areas in the grade above, remain in the classroom to work with a content specialist assigned to provide these services in the building, or in a cluster group or ability group model within their own classroom. Student is also offered enrichment activities and programming opportunities available within their building and across the district. Regarding the student’s social and emotional  health, individual or group work with the school counselor/social worker/behavior interventionist may by recommended for students who have needs (anxiety, perfectionism, insufficient social skills and the like) which are affecting school success.
4. Student needs are such that  further assessment for possible multi-class or full grade acceleration (grade-skipping) is required.  Specific protocol follows the DMPS board protocol and the publication guidelines of the new acceleration procedures manual published by the Connie Belin and Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Iowa.  All other programs and services as listed above are also recommended.