Welcome to the Deer Park City School District’s Gifted Education website. This site will provide helpful information for families and community members regarding identification procedures, services offered across our district, and resources to provide further support for parents and students.
Your ideas and suggestions are welcome. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
Deer Park's Philosophy of Gifted Education
Deer Park schools recognizes a gifted student as one who “performs or shows potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared to others of their age, experience, or environment” in concurrence with the state of Ohio’s definition. Learn more about gifted students.
Due to this performance or potential, Deer Park schools provide services for gifted students to meet their unique learning needs.
Services:
-
Amity Adventurers (Grades 2-6): The Amity Adventurers program provides small group enrichment to students who have been identified with a Specific Academic Ability in Math or Reading and to those who are gifted with Superior Cognitive or Creative Thinking Abilities. Students are identified for these services based on their scores on Ohio’s approved gifted assessments.
-
Grades 7-12: All Deer Park Jr. and Sr. High School teachers of core subjects (math, reading, writing, science, and social studies) are qualified providers of gifted services. They receive professional development in the core competencies of gifted education and differentiate to meet the needs of gifted learners. All students who are highly performing have the opportunity to participate in Honors, Advanced, and AP courses.
-
Consultation: The Gifted Intervention Specialist consults with classroom teachers across the district to provide resources and suggestions related to supporting gifted students in the general education classroom.
Identification
Gifted Identification in the area of Superior Cognitive Abilities takes place for all students in grades 2 and 5. Students take the CogAT test in these grades to screen for cognitive giftedness. Second and fifth graders who receive a qualifying CogAT score are also assessed for Creative Thinking Abilities using the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking.
Gifted Identification in the area of a Specific Academic Ability takes place for all students using the following assessments:
- iReady Reading: Grades 2-8 three times a year
- ACT (Math, Reading, Science): Grade 11 once a year
Parents, if you would like to have your child tested for gifted identification in grades not universally screened or in an area not screened for, please submit your request by completing the Parent Referral for Gifted Form (online). Gifted testing requests will be completed within 90 days of written referral.
- Emily Hoops, Gifted Intervention Specialist