The vision of the USD 416 Gifted Education program is to:
provide opportunities for students to pursue individual interests and develop talents;
provide for the cognitive and academic development through challenging learning experiences;
provide support for the social and emotional needs of gifted and talented (G/T) students.
The USD 416 gifted teachers will serve as a resource for general education teachers in meeting the needs of G/T students through the following objectives:
serve as a resource for staff differentiation strategies, the benefits and limitations of the characteristics of G/T students, and the educational needs of G/T students within the general education curriculum;
collaborate with general education teachers in order to meet the cognitive, academic, social, and emotional needs of G/T students; and
communicate with parents of G/T students to provide individualized assistance and information about the gifted education program.
Students identified as gifted will benefit from the work that the Gifted Education Specialists do on the students' behalf within the schools. Specialists consult with general education teachers in order to meet the intellectual needs of G/T students within the general education setting and to consult about the individual needs of specific students.
The USD 416 Board of Education fully supports gifted education. Gifted education is a part of special education and follows special education processes and procedures. A student must be found eligible to participate in the program. Once a student is identified as having the characteristics of giftedness and displays needs that cannot be met in the general education classroom, an INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PLAN (IEP) is written. The IEP guides the instruction for the student within the gifted education and general education programs.