The Gifted and Talented Education Department aims to help students realize and reach their full potential while making learning an enjoyable and challenging experience. Our department emphasizes the importance of talent development that encourages equity and inclusion across the district.
Students develop:
- Critical and creative thinking processes.
- Research and independent study skills.
- Presentation skills.
- Perseverance.
- Teamwork.
All elementary students (grades K-5 or grade 6 in the East cluster) identified as gifted and talented in a specific academic ability area, superior cognitive and creative thinking are serviced by a Gifted Intervention Specialist (GIS). The building GIS may service gifted identified students through a Service Delivery Model that utilizes four main components:
- consultation
- collaboration
- co-teaching
- Resource Room/pull-out
Akron Public Schools provides whole screening for possible gifted identification in superior cognitive ability and possible creative thinking ability in grades 2 and 4. Specific academic ability testing is achieved through district-wide testing using iReady data. Akron Public Schools offers gifted referral testing twice a year. Students, parents, teachers or administrators may refer students for gifted testing at any time during the school year by completing the Gifted and Talented Referral Form linked below. The form includes dates, times and locations of referral testing.
Students, parents, teachers or administrators may refer students for identification in the Visual & Performing Arts by completing the VPA Nomination form linked below. VPA demonstrations occur once a year. The date, time and location are included on the nomination form.
Gifted and Talented Academic Referral Form (Spring and Fall)
Visual Performing Arts Nomination Form
Gifted Identification Service Delivery Plan
Request for Grade/Subject Acceleration review
APS Acceleration Board Policy
Resources for Parents/Guardians
VPA Parent Resource Guide
National Association of Gifted Children Parent Resources
Ohio Department of Education Resources for Parents of Gifted Children
Ohio Association for Gifted Children Parent Division Homepage
For additional information, contact:
Diana Gearhart
330.761.3108
dgearhar@apslearns.org or
gifted@apslearns.org