Gifted and Talented Program

Kentucky offers gifted education services for identified students across all grade levels. Primary students in grades K-3 are screened, selected as high potential learners, and placed in the Primary Talent Pool.  Students in grades 4-12 are formally identified for services in one or more of the following areas:  
  --General Intellectual Aptitude (GI) 
  --Specific Academic Aptitude 
  --Creative or Divergent Thinking 
  --Psychosocial or Leadership Skills 
  --Visual or Performing Arts

The Primary Talent Pool (PTP) is a group of primary students (K-3) informally selected as having characteristics and behaviors of a high potential learner.  The benefit of selecting students to participate in the PTP provides early enrichment for those students whose gifts and talents need to be nurtured.  Nominations for the Primary Talent Pool may occur at any time throughout the primary years.  The student may self-nominate or parents, peers, teachers and other school personnel may nominate students in the specific area(s) where the student shows strength.

Parents, teachers, other school personnel, and students who observe gifted and talented characteristics of students in grades 4-12 may nominate that student for gifted and talented services.  Once nominated, the student will be evaluated within the area(s) which he/she is nominated.  Screenings, surveys, assessments and auditions will be used as criteria to determine eligibility for gifted and talented services.  Nominations for identification may occur at any time throughout the school year.

The screening and identification process for the Primary Talent Pool and Formally Identified students includes the following components:  
  --Nomination Component 
  --Behavior Checklist Component 
  --Evaluation Component

Nomination and testing does not insure placement into the Gifted and Talented Program.   A committee of staff and administrators will make the final decision after conferring on each student's screening results.  Should a child qualify for the Primary Talent Pool or Gifted and Talented Program, he/she will be served through a differentiated, supplemented, and/or modified curriculum to further develop his/her individual interests, needs and abilities. 

Michelle Bertke
Director of Exceptional Children
Gifted and Talented Coordinator
212 Levassor Place
Covington, KY  41011
(859) 392-3170
michelle.bertke@covington.kyschools.us

Sarah Fortner
Gifted and Talented Teacher
257 Pike Street
Covington, KY  41011
(859) 392-3171
sarah.fortner@covington.kyschools.us