Gifted & Talented Coordinator

Alfred Townes

alfred@mandareeschool.org

701-759-3311 ext.112

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Information for students

The Mandaree School Gifted and Talented program is aligned with the Bureau of Indian Education’s definition, qualifications, and requirements for Gifted and Talented Programs.

The program provides services and activities to students who are identified as Gifted and Talented. These are provided in an atmosphere in which the student’s special talents are nurtured and new talents are acquired and encouraged. Each student is individually challenged and an awareness of his or her own unique goals, strengths, and talents is developed. 

 A student may be referred under one of five categories to receive Gifted and Talented services: 

  1. INTELLECTUAL ABILITY

• Intellectual Ability means scoring in the top 5 percent on a statistically valid and reliable measurement tool of intellectual ability.

• Intellectual ability refers to the skills required to think critically, see connections between disciplines and problem solve in new or changing situations. Memory, creative problem solving and vocabulary also contribute to the level of an individual's intellectual ability.

 2. CREATIVE / DIVERGENT THINKING

• Creativity/Divergent Thinking means scoring in the top 5 percent of performance on a statistically valid and reliable measurement tool of creativity/divergent thinking.

• These students think independently and often have a great sense of humor. They are imaginative, inventive and often have innovative solutions to problems. They can also seem inattentive and work on their own schedule.

 3. ACADEMIC APTITUDE / ACHIEVEMENT

• Academic Aptitude/Achievement means scoring in the top 15 percent of academic performance in a total subject area score on a statistically valid and reliable measurement tool of academic achievement/aptitude, or a standardized assessment, such as an NRT or CRT.

 4. LEADERSHIP

• Students who show the potential for excellence in Leadership are recognized as possessing the ability to lead, guide, or influence the actions of others as measured by objective standards that a reasonable person of the community would believe demonstrates leadership skills. These standards include evidence from surveys, supportive documentation portfolios, elected or appointed positions in school, community, clubs and organization, or awards documenting leadership capabilities. No school can identify more than 15 percent of its student population as gifted and talented through the leadership category.

• Many children possessing giftedness in leadership share common characteristics, including the desire to be challenged, the ability to solve problems creatively, the ability to reason critically, the ability to see new relationships, flexibility in thought and action, understanding of ambiguous concepts, and the ability to motivate others.

 5. VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

• Visual and Performing Arts means outstanding ability to excel in any imaginative art form; including, but not limited to, drawing, painting, sculpture, jewelry making, music, dance, drumming, speech, debate, storytelling, or drama as documented by surveys, portfolios, and awards from judged or juried competitions. No school can identify more than 15 percent of its student population as gifted and talented through the visual and performing arts category.

 Data, work samples, assessment scores, and other evidence will be collected for each student referred to the Gifted and Talented Program. Students identified for the program must demonstrate or meet the criteria above and:

• Show evidence of high achievement capabilities for the area(s) they are nominated; and

• Demonstrate a need for services and activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those characteristics.