PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles School District is seeking highly capable students.
Beginning in September, the district will start a program to serve highly capable students in all grades, also known as “gifted and talented.”
District officials have no idea yet how many students the program will need to serve.
“The first step of the plan requires the district to identify highly capable students who may qualify for services,” said Superintendent Jane Pryne.
Nominations due soon
Parents are being asked to nominate students who fit the profile of a gifted and talented student by next Friday, March 21.
District officials will test students at their neighborhood schools between March 24 and April 18.
Nomination forms are available at school offices and must be returned by parents or guardians to their student’s local school by March 21 to be considered as gifted or highly capable.
Parents and guardians of home-schooled students interested in the program can pick up nomination forms at the district offices at 216 E. Fourth St. or phone the district at 360-457-8575.
The district will not accept late nominations.
Parents or guardians will be notified after testing whether the nominated student qualifies and will be given the option to decide whether the student will participate in the district’s gifted and talented education services.
A new state law considers programs for K-12 highly capable students part of basic education.
Districts are mandated to offer programs to all students who qualify.
The state defines highly capable students as “students who perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels when compared with others of their age, experiences, or environments.”
Students may excel in either one primary area of academic or artistic talent, or multiple talents.
Program now
While the Port Angeles district serves highly capable middle school students with a seminar program and high school students have access to honors, Advance Placement and Running Start college courses, the district has no current offerings for elementary school students.
District staff members are working to develop a program consistent with the new state law, and its final form is not complete, said Tina Smith-O’Hara, spokeswoman for the district.
The program is expected to be student-ready by the time students start the 2014-15 school year in September.
Highly capable students may not be obvious at first glance, and some parents may be surprised when they are notified that their child may qualify, Smith-O’Hara said.
Straight-A honor-type students are not necessarily gifted and talented but achieve their grades and educational levels by hard work and dedication, she said.
Gifted students may excel in potential but be struggling in their current courses.
According to a University of Connecticut study, 19 percents to 25 percent of identified gifted students never complete high school.
The study found that gifted and talented students may struggle in average classes due to boredom with slower or repetitive coursework, may avoid displaying their intelligence to gain social acceptance or have difficult home lives that interfere with their academic progress.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
