Academically Talented and Gifted (ATG) Program

Process and Timelines

Community Consolidated School District 15 aims to support the personal and academic growth of its students. For students demonstrating advanced academic and intellectual abilities, this support may entail subject or grade acceleration within the student’s school or enrollment in a self-contained gifted program classroom. Specially designed Academically Talented and Gifted (ATG) program classrooms cater to students whose needs cannot be met through subject or grade acceleration alone.

The selection process for placement into gifted program classrooms is rigorous and follows the outlined process below.

Selection Process Overview

The gifted selection process commences in August or September, where all students complete two tests from the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) in Reading and Math. Students ranking in the top 15% of their grade are automatically referred for a second set of testing with the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), typically administered in February and scheduled by the student’s home school. Regardless of MAP test performance, students in grades 2 and 3 may be referred by a parent or teacher to complete the CogAT. The District accepts referrals until November 1st. Additionally, parents of students residing within District 15 boundaries, but attending private schools or homeschooled, may refer their grade 2 or 3 student for the same testing process, with referrals accepted until November 1st. The online application can be accessed here.

Students with combined test scores in the highest performing 2-3% of same-grade District 15 students, across measures of aptitude, achievement, and teacher-completed rating scales, are eligible for the ATG program. Enrollment is voluntary, allowing eligible students’ parents to opt for their child’s enrollment in the gifted program for the upcoming school year, with the option to disenroll at any time.

The ATG program is located at Stuart R. Paddock School. While ATG classrooms are single grade, flexible grouping based on student needs is common practice within the gifted program, allowing students to be taught by more than one teacher during a school day. The ATG program concludes at the end of fifth grade, after which sixth-grade students transition to their respective home Middle Schools. Each Middle School offers advanced courses in math, English, Language Arts, and other subjects to accommodate advanced learners. Enrollment in these middle school courses is not exclusive to ATG program participants, and participation in the ATG program does not guarantee placement in these courses.

Selection Process Timeline

August - September: All second, third, and fourth-grade students undergo MAP testing at their respective home schools.

August to November: The district accepts referrals from parents and teachers for any student residing within District 15 boundaries. To participate in the selection process, parents must complete this online application for testing by November 1st.

February: Students undertake CogAT testing at their home schools. Each student takes two subtests: the CogAT’s Verbal and Quantitative subtests. For students who are not yet proficient in English, the CogAT’s Nonverbal subtest is administered in place of the Verbal subtest.

May: Parents receive notification of Gifted Program eligibility. Students eligible for the ATG program are invited to attend a virtual new student/parent night. During this event, parents and students will have the opportunity to meet some ATG teachers, learn about the classrooms and curriculum, and ask questions to our staff. This evening typically lasts about one hour.

ATG Parent Handbook

First page of the PDF file: ParentATGHandbook-UpdatedAug2024

FAQs

At what grade level(s) will the District begin to look at students qualifying for the program?

What if my child is new to the District or was in an accelerated/gifted program at his/her previous school?

New students that were in a gifted program at the time of their move may be considered for the ATG program. In these cases, the Principal will review documentation showing that the child was participating in the previous district’s gifted program and the child’s previous test scores. If the child has MAP and CogAT results that are less than one calendar year old, these results may be considered for program eligibility. In this case, only the child’s most recent MAP test scores are considered. If the new student was attending a gifted program and meets District gifted criteria, the student may enroll in the ATG program. If the child does not meet the District criteria, they are not eligible for the ATG program.

The District reserves the right to require retesting in any area. The District will only test those students who are registered in District 15.

New students who were not participating in a gifted program at the time of their move are considered in the same way as other District 15 students and may participate in the regular selection process in Grades 2-4.

No outside private evaluations are accepted for any District 15 gifted service or programs. Parents disagreeing with the District’s decisions may submit an appeal to the appeals committee so long as the appeal complies with the written requirements and timelines.