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The New Prague Area School District provides
programming for gifted and high performing students.
The
program has two components: curriculum-based services and student-based
services.
Curriculum-based
services are modifications of the regular curriculum in response to the
learning needs of the student which may include cluster
grouping, and differentiated instruction with enrichment activities delivered
to the students by classroom teachers.
Student-based
services are those learning opportunities that may differ from the regular
curriculum and often extend to learning activities outside the classroom which may
include pullout sessions, guest speakers, and extracurricular community
activities. A
half time Gifted and Talented Coordinator rotates between New Prague’s
three elementary buildings to provide direct service.
The Gifted and Talented Coordinator also works on
various programming components connected to the Middle School and High
School. Services in those two buildings may include cluster grouping,
Advanced Placement (AP) classes, College in the Schools, Partnership in
Academic Advancement (PAA), and extracurricular competitions.
Minnesota Definition of Gifted Talented
Gifted and Talented children and
youth are those students with outstanding abilities identified at preschool,
elementary, and secondary levels. These students are capable of high
performance when compared to others of similar age, experience, and
environment. These students represent the diverse populations of our
communities. These are students whose potential requires differentiated and
challenging educational programs and/or services beyond those provided in the
gereral school program. Students capable of high performance include those
with demonstrated achievement or potential ability in any one or more of the
following areas: intellectual, specific academic subjects, creativity,
leadership, and visual and performing arts.
Formal Identification
Formal identification occurs in grades 2 and 4 with the
administration of the CogAt7 Abilities Test. The CogAt 7 test is designed to
measure students' learned reasoning abilities in the three areas most linked
to academic success in school: Verbal, Quantitative, and Nonverbal.
The Use of GT Funds
The state of MN provides categorical funding to
districts in order to support Gifted Education. These funds can only be used
in the following ways:
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Identification--New Prague Area Schools (NPAS) have used a
portion of these funds to determine student eligibility for the program.
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Programs--NPAS has used a portion of these funds to
increase curricular and instructional rigor.
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Staff Development--NPAS has used a portion of these funds
for on-going staff development for both cluster and non-cluster teachers in
grades K-8.
New Students Transferring to New Prague Area
Schools
A review committee will periodically meet to
assess placement options for students new to the district. Students from
another state or district can submit recent nationally normed aptitude and
achievement test scores and an offical record of recent grades to the Gifted
Talented Coordinator located at the District Office.
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