Gifted & Talented

Gifted and Talented

Mission: Gifted programming is essential in order to ensure that all children, including those with exceptional academic aptitudes, continue to make growth each year.

Vision: Each child who shows evidence of exceptional aptitude will engage in learning experiences that provide opportunities to grapple with complex content and apply their understanding in authentic ways.

Values: We must ensure that each child is surrounded by highly quality educators who understand the unique needs of gifted learners and have access to learning activities designed with depth, complexity and are delivered at a pace that invites engagement.

Identification

Hastings Public Schools uses ability data to identify gifted students.  Each student in both second grade and fourth grade is assessed using the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) to learn aptitudes in the areas of verbal, quantitative and nonverbal thinking.   Students will be identified using a combination of data including the results of the CogAT, NWEA/ MAP and Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs).  Typically, students who score in the 96th percentile and above in a combination of assessments are identified.