NEW TO DISTRICT

Welcome to Denver Public Schools Gifted and Talented. 

Please follow these steps to  ensure a smooth transition for your family and your child into the Gifted and Talented system. 

Step 1: Request Student Records

Before we can accept your child’s Gifted and Talented identification from another school, district, state, or country, we need to review their records.

Please ask your child’s current school to send us documents that may include:

  • Cognitive Assessments (CogAT, NNAT, WISC, WPPSI, DAS, KABC, etc)

  • Achievement Assessments (State testing, Iowa Assessments, iReady, STAR, MAPS, CMAS, Aprenda, Logramos, etc)

  • Observation Scales (SIGS, GRS, etc)

  • Any Advanced Learning Plans (ALPS). Note: in some states this may be classified as the IEP for Gifted and Talented.

  • Gifted and Talented identification summary sheets. Many districts will have a printout that summarizes all of the data used for identification.

  • Anecdotal data from the school or teacher that discuss the student's gifted abilities

  • Identification portfolios of advanced student work

  • Any evidence of whole grade or single-subject acceleration, if applicable

Once you have the records, please submit complete the New to District Intake Form

Please note: Looking at your child’s information does not guarantee that they will be accepted into the DPS Gifted and Talented Program or placed at a magnet school.

What to Do If Your Child Does Not Have Data
If your child does not have any of the records listed above, then they can be tested with a cognitive assessment to begin building the body of evidence. Please submit a
Cognitive Testing Nomination Form if this applies to your situation. 

Step 2: Gifted and Talented Departmental Review

Once the New to District Intake Form is completed and all files have been uploaded for review, the DPS Gifted and Talented Department will conduct a review. Please allow for up to two weeks for a response.

The GT department will look at the data to determine portability of any identification. Next steps will be outlined in the follow up email. 

Outcome: HGT or GT Identification
If
your child’s records match the rules for identifying gifted students in Colorado, we will accept them. The information will be added to your child’s school file with the correct result.

The teacher at your child’s school will then create an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) to support their learning.

If your child is identified as HGT, they will be eligible to attend a HGT Magnet Site if that is appropriate.

Outcome: Magnet Eligibility
If your child scored in the 95th percentile or higher on a cognitive test, but doesn’t yet have all the records needed for full Gifted identification in Colorado, they will be given a
Magnet Eligibility status.

This means your child is on the way to full identification and can still get Gifted and Talented (GT) services during this time.

The GT teacher at your child’s school will keep working to collect more information. This might include:

  • Teacher observations

  • Achievement tests

  • A student portfolio (a collection of your child’s work)

Students with Magnet Eligibility can also attend a magnet school. Please connect with Choice and Enrollment Services for more information about the application process.

Outcome: No Decision on Identification
If your child’s records don’t have enough information to decide on Gifted identification or Magnet Eligibility, a team will look at the file and suggest what to do next.

Any information you share in the Intake Form will be added to your child’s file. Their classroom teacher will be able to see it, too.

The GT teacher at your child’s school can keep collecting more information to help with the identification process.

The team may also recommend that your child take a cognitive test during one of our testing periods.

Step 3: Contact the Office of Choice and Enrollment

The GT Department’s review of your child’s records may help you decide where to enroll them.

  • If your child’s data qualifies as HGT (Highly Gifted and Talented) or Magnet Eligible, you might want to apply to a HGT Magnet Site.

  • If your child’s data does not qualify for a magnet site, you can contact the Office of Choice and Enrollment to apply to neighborhood schools.

Gifted and Talented (GT) services are offered at every school in Denver Public Schools.
Because each school plans its own programs, GT services may look different from one school to another.

We recommend checking out the Programming Plan (updated every fall) to learn more about what each school offers.

Have Further Questions Not Answered on this Page?

If you have further questions or wish to speak with with someone in our GT Department, please contact us:

Email Gifted and Talented

Main Office: 720-423-2056

Family Communication Pathways