Gifted & Talented (REACH)
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Identifying REACH Students
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There are multiple indicators that may describe a student needing gifted program services in the Rogers Public Schools, such as
- Be unusually curious and/or persistent
- Have an unusually large vocabulary for age
- Display long-term recall of much information
- Learn to read on their own
- Possess a keen sense of humor
- Show unusual independence for age
- Be creative and imaginative beyond age mates
- Tend to be a perfectionist
- Sustain interest in one or more fields of knowledge over years
- Have self-directed interests
- Easily master intellectual skills
- Be interested in and concerned about community/world problems
- Often be self-critical and overly sensitive
- Continually question the status quo
- Apply learning from one situation to another
- Solve problems in a unique manner
- Have different behavior style
- Enjoy reading about a wide range of topics
- Reason abstractly
No one criteria will necessarily determine placement into the gifted program but rather a variety of measurements and data shared before the Placement Committee that is comprised of building level administrators, counselors, and teachers.
More about REACH
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Requirements
Arkansas Act 445 (1983) of the Quality Education Act includes the provision that all districts must provide a program for the gifted and talented students. The Arkansas Department of Education Program Approval Standards state that curriculum for the identified gifted student differs in degree but also in kind. It "must be in place of, rather than in addition to required classroom work". This is in compliance with the ADE standards for identified gifted and talented students. Students should not be penalized for being identified as gifted by being given extra work. For more information view the Rogers School District Modification and Interventions Guidelines for the REACH program.
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Placement
A comprehensive procedure guide for referral, identification, and placement of students follows a specific protocol acknowledged by the Rogers Public School District. Identification is an ongoing process with referrals accepted from anyone with knowledge of the student (including, but not limited to, educators, parents, community, peers, and self.)
Subjective and objective measures assess both cognitive and non-cognitive areas. These are used to evaluate students needs for gifted and talented services. Each school has a REACH facilitator and Placement Committee which reviews the screening data collected and makes recommendations for student placement based upon student needs. Students moving in from other AR school districts or states will be reevaluated using the approved Rogers Public School's placement criteria.
Students can be referred for gifted and talented REACH testing at anytime during K-12 to determine a need for G/T services.If a student needs gifted and talented services, then parents and staff will be notified by mail so that the identified REACH student's weekly schedule will be modified. Elementary students attend their REACH classes for 150 minutes weekly in block segments. In middle school, 6th-7th graders attend their REACH Reading class daily. All 7th-12th grade Pre-AP, AP, and/or concurrent classes are scheduled daily. The REACH program routinely communicates with all secondary students about additional opportunities available for them during the school year and summer.
In exceptional circumstances, acceleration is also considered a viable alternative for meeting a student's academic needs. Please contact your child's principal or the Director of Gifted Programs for further information. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with "A Nation Deceived", Templeton Report.
