Gifted and Talented Spotlight

We are excited to see our Gifted and Talented (GT) program continue to grow at STEM! Danielle Rose and Gina Reinier are supporting students across kindergarten through 12th grade, bringing a combined 13 years of experience in gifted education and 37 years in elementary and secondary classrooms. Their expertise and passion help us create meaningful opportunities for students to build on their strengths, explore their interests, and continue growing as learners.

As part of Douglas County’s gifted education model, each school is supported by a gifted education facilitator. At STEM, our GT team collaborates and consults with classroom teachers to plan instruction and learning opportunities that appropriately challenge and support gifted and high-potential learners.

So far this fall, our team has focused on student course placement, developing 2026–2027 Advanced Learning Plans (ALPs), and preparing for new GT identification. ALPs help guide each identified student’s growth through individualized goals that reflect their strengths and learning needs.

Looking ahead, universal CogAT screening will take place for fifth-grade students in November and second-grade students in February. These screenings help identify students who may benefit from gifted education services, including learners whose strengths may not yet be fully reflected in their classroom performance.

We look forward to continuing to partner with teachers and families throughout the year to ensure our students feel challenged, supported, and excited about learning!

5th Grade CoGAT testing

Dear Parents/Guardians,

DCSD is committed to implementing equitable practices to increase access to advanced/gifted learning opportunities. Based on state and national recommendations and requirements, we implement Universal Screening for students in 2nd grade (February) and 5th grade (November).

As part of this process, ALL students in 5th grade who have not been identified for gifted programming will take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) the week of November 3rd. This assessment indicates the level and pattern of cognitive development of a student in comparison to grade and age mates. These general reasoning abilities, which start developing at birth and continue through early adulthood, are influenced by experiences gained both in and out of school.

If your child is already identified for gifted programming, they will not participate in this universal screen testing. Your Gifted Education Facilitator will contact you directly with more detailed information about this process.

Please see the following for additional information linked below:

DCSD Universal Screening Letter to Families_Fall